Long Live the King
by lockheartilly
Summary: There's a problem with the Guardian Force's and the heroes of Ultimecia's time-compression must calm the creatures. Odin, the king, is dead because of Seifer. A new ruler must be chosen to control the Guardian's again. Squinoa, Selvine, ZellxLibraryGirl
1. Give Me Hope

**Long Live the King  
  
A/N: Yes, I am attempting to write yet another fanfic for Final Fantasy VIII. This time, sadly, there will be no Zelphie. If you must know, the pairings are SquallxRinoa, IrvinexSelphie (happy?), and ZellxPaige (the library girl! :D). Quistis... Poor Quistis doesn't get anybody. I'm sorry. I'd give her Seifer, but he doesn't really have a point in the story... actually, nobody but Squall and Rinoa really do. O.o; Erm, before I give the story away... .; Here we go...  
  
Chapter 1: Give Me Hope  
**  
The night had been stormy, leaving our heroes no chance to sleep peacefully. Six in the morning and the rising sun was still held hostage by the ominous clouds above. Selphie fell out of bed with a shriek as thunder roared in the heavens, shaking the immobile military school. You'd think, after the incident with Ultimecia and time-compression, one such as Selphie Tilmitt wouldn't be afraid of a little thunder and lightning.  
  
There was a pounding on her dorm room door and Selphie crawled to it. She 'stood' up on her knees and pulled the door open, wide eyes staring at a pair of jean-clad thighs.  
  
"Selphie! Are you alright?"  
  
It was none other than the cowboy sniper himself, Irvine. Selphie jumped to her feet, still in her cactuar-imprinted pajamas, and laughed nervously. She rubbed embarrassedly at the back of her head and gave a big grin. "I'm fine! The thunder just... startled me a bit! That's all." She laughed again and winked playfully, hitting the side of her head lightly with a fist.  
  
Irvine smiled, relieved she was alright, and leaned against the doorway. "Hurry up and get ready, Selphie. Everyone else is up, anyway."  
  
Selphie nodded and shoved him out of her doorway, quickly closing the door and changing into her SeeD uniform.

----------  
  
Half an hour later met the two making their way to the directory in front of the elevators. There, Selphie smiled sympathetically at Zell whom struggled to stay standing, mouth wide open in mid-yawn. Quistis and Squall didn't seem to mind the time of morning they were awake.  
  
_Must be a normal thing for them,_ Selphie thought to herself.  
  
Quistis glanced towards Selphie and Irvine and gave a polite smile, nodding to them in welcome. Squall did all he could and gave a nod as well.  
  
"Alright... We all know what today is, right?" Quistis asked, hands lacing together in front of her. She got a few stares and a grunt in response.  
  
"Rinoa is returning from her ordeal in Timber. She has succeeded in giving Timber their independence, and I believe that deserves some sort of congratulations."  
  
Zell pumped a fist into the air, seemingly wide awake now that he knew there would be some sort of celebration. Not one quite as big as three months ago, after they defeated Ultimecia, but a celebration nonetheless. Selphie smiled and hopped up on one foot, arms flying up into the air.  
  
"Yay! Rinoa's coming back!" she giggled and turned to Zell, the two exchanging a high five.  
  
Irvine glanced over to Squall, wondering what his reaction would be to the return of the sorceress he had promised to be the knight to. Of course, he wasn't surprised when Squall just turned away, arms crossed stubbornly across his chest.  
  
Quistis didn't take notice and smiled, "We are going to have to retrieve her from the train station and bring her back here, but make the preparations here in the Garden at the same time."  
  
"Aw, Quisty, you don't have to make it sound like a mission..." Selphie whined, reaching out and poking at Quistis' arm.  
  
The instructor laughed and stepped back, nodding to her friend. "Yes, yes, I know. I guess I'll never get out of that state of mind, though." She sighed more to herself then looked over her group of friends. "Alright. Selphie; you, Zell, and Irvine will make preparations for her return. I'll inform Headmaster Cid of what we're planning, and Squall... You get the lucky job of picking her up." Quistis had this planned out to the dot.  
  
Squall shrugged and turned to face her. "When is the train arriving?"  
  
She sighed and shook her head, wondering if he would ever lose that barrier whenever he was around them. It didn't have to be just Rinoa that he was comfortable around. "Nine. We have three hours. You can help with the decorations until," she paused, in thought, "about half an hour before, alright? Good." She didn't let him respond, knowing he would refuse.  
  
The gun blade wielder let his arms fall to his sides in defeat and slowly gave a nod.

----------  
  
Two hours later, Selphie finished with the lighting. She took a deep breath, and then exhaled. "We're done!"  
  
The group stood back and admired their own decorating skills. Quistis put a hand to her chin and smiled approvingly. "Well, it's too bad Cid didn't let us use the entire Garden, but the Quad should be sufficient."  
  
Selphie gave a hard nod and put her hands on her hips, giving a victorious pose. "Rinoa will love it! Right, Squall?" But her questioning went unanswered, as Squall was already up the stairs and heading out. "Party pooper," Selphie grumbled. But she wouldn't let it bother her. She settled with spinning around the made up dance floor with Irvine, laughing the whole way around.

----------  
  
It was time to go pick her up. Squall gave a heavy sigh and climbed into the buggy, backing up and driving out of the parking lot of the Garden. After the whole ordeal with Ultimecia, they had decided to sit the Garden by Balamb once again.  
  
As Squall drove down the paved highway that went between the Garden and the little town, he began to think about the two months he had spent without Rinoa around. A month after the battle, she had left to fight for Timber against her own father, General Caraway. And now that she won, she was going to come back to the Garden. To be with the grown up orphans. To be with him. He still couldn't understand why she wanted to be around him. How could she put up with everything he had thrown at her to push her away? It was a mystery, even to the ever more mysterious Squall Leonhart.  
  
It wasn't long till he pulled into the parking garage of Balamb. He climbed out of the buggy and locked the vehicle before heading down the path towards the train station. Sure, he was... happy?... to see her. But, he had no idea what to do when she stepped out of the train. Would she look different? Would she feel differently about him?  
  
But this was no time to think about it. Half an hour and she would be there with him. With all of them. _Half an hour? _Despite what a SeeD would think, half an hour was actually, quite a long time. He stopped, halfway to the train station. "Do I have to... give her a gift?" He wondered aloud, more to himself than the passersby giving him strange looks.  
  
"Well, usually you get gals a gift if you're getting to see them after such a long time... Don't know about you, though, boy." An old voice sounded from behind him. He turned around and stared at the old man. The wrinkles on his forehead seemed to crease even more in what Squall was hoping was a frown. "Well, don't just stand there, boy. Go get the gal some nice flowers. Maybe even a puppy dog. Gals seem to like those puppy dogs."  
  
Squall shrugged halfheartedly and turned on his heels, walking away from the geezer.

----------  
  
It was ten more minutes till she was there. The train let out a whistle and Rinoa glanced upwards nervously, as if she could see through the ceiling of the train car and to the still dark sky above. _Hopefully he still feels the same way..._ she thought to herself, hands balling up on her lap. She chewed down on her lower lip lightly, nervously.  
  
"Don't worry, deary. You'll be fine. He'll still love you, deary. I'm sure of it," came the soft voice of an elderly woman sitting across from her. Rinoa looked up at her and smiled slightly, giving a bit of a shrug.  
  
"I hope so. I haven't seen him in two months. What if he doesn't ca—"  
  
"He will, deary. Don't worry, deary," the woman seemed to be repeating herself. Rinoa tried to look reassured, but she just didn't feel it. The questions still swirled in her mind, and she could feel her stomach flipping. _I hope he does..._

_----------  
_  
It was time. Squall heard the whistle of the train and the men calling out its arrival. He took a deep breath and stood ready, legs together and arms straight by his sides. It took him a moment to realize he was in a military stance. Quickly, the lionhearted relaxed and glared down at the cement.  
  
He could hear the train come to a halt and, for the first time in his life, he truly felt like a teenager, ready to take his date to prom or something along those lines. It was ridiculous. But he couldn't stop himself from watching, waiting to see that raven head and blue attire. Those chocolate eyes and pale skin. The people were filing out of the train, one by one, as if all had graduated as SeeD's. He even saw the old man from before, meeting with an equally old woman. The old man gave her a bouquet of flowers and the two wrapped into a loving embrace. Squall felt something cringe inside of him.  
  
No body else was coming out. He was almost disappointed. Slowly, Squall turned away, ready to leave. Then, a small hand reached out and wrapped lightly around his wrist. He turned quickly, on instinct, and all his fears, doubts, and loneliness washed away.  
  
"Hi, Squall..."

* * *

**A/N: Alright, end of chapter one. How did you guys like it? I'm a little more proud of this one than my other fanfics. The other ones I didn't plan out at all. This one I've got planned! See? I'm smart this time around. (Even if this chapter is kind of short...) :3 And this time, I'll attempt to update faster. After all, I'm really excited about this story. I have a good plot going for me. Trust me, I do! It won't be all romance and mushy an' stuff. :o Nor cliché. Alright, now, tell me how you like it. I'll write more tomorrow. Hopefully I'll get to update once a day. Maybe even twice! ::gasp::  
  
Review! Review!! **


	2. Dance of Remembrance

**Long Live the King  
  
A/N: Yay! One review! :D As long as I got one... Anyhow. Yes, the first chapter didn't have much of a point to it, but it was there to start this all off. I intended to make it longer, but didn't have the ideas for it. I believe that's all for a beginning note. On with the show!  
  
Chapter 2: Dance of Remembrance  
**  
The ride back was silent. It was an awkward silence on Rinoa's part. She glanced over to Squall cautiously, and then quickly looked out the window. She felt as if just looking at him would earn her a slap on the hand.  
  
While trying to keep focused on the road, Squall couldn't help but notice just how nervous she was. He himself wasn't feeling too calm at the moment, either. It took him a few more minutes to finally think of something, at least something intelligent, to say to her.  
  
"Did you have a nice ride?"  
  
_Did you have a nice ride? What the hell?_ Squall was annoyed with his own question. This was why he never tried starting a conversation. It never began smoothly. Rinoa seemed to notice his inner turmoil at just asking a question and smiled.  
  
"Yes. There was this older lady in the same car with me, and she was very nice. It seems there's a man here that she was coming to visit. They hadn't seen each other for..." She paused to think back on what the woman said. "Ah, I think it was three years. Oh, but it was so cute, the way she talked abo—"  
  
"We're here," Squall cut her off, pulling the buggy into the Garden's parking lot.  
  
The two left the car and entered the Garden. Headmaster Cid was at the end of the corridor, waiting for them.  
  
"Ah! Rinoa! Welcome back to Balamb Garden. How was your trip?" He pulled the younger girl into a great bear hug then released her, a sheepish smile on his round face as he took her hand and shook it.  
  
Rinoa laughed while Squall glared on. "It was fine, thank you." She responded. Cid grinned and spread his arms out wide.  
  
"Well, you are welcome here any time. Now, I have some business to attend to, but Squall here will take you to your welcoming committee."  
  
The sorceress seemed rather startled and shook her hands in front of herself. "No, no. I don't need a welcoming committee..." But Cid insisted and was already on his way to the elevators, leaving Squall and Rinoa standing there alone, again.  
  
Squall looked down at Rinoa then shrugged and began walking towards the Quad with Rinoa by his side. "You didn't have to," she started.  
  
"I didn't."

----------  
  
In the Quad; Selphie, Irvine, Zell, and Quistis stood with several other students who had talked with Rinoa when she had visited the Garden. Even Seifer was there, along with his posse, Fujin and Raijin. The two stood as guards at his sides, looking ahead and around as if expecting danger.  
  
Selphie started the make-shift orchestra and quickly grabbed for Irvine and pulled him onto the dance floor. "Do you think Rinoa will be happy?" She asked the cowboy. He smiled down at her and pulled her close as they twirled.  
  
"Not as happy as I am."  
  
Selphie felt her cheeks go hot and she quickly looked away. Off to the side, she spotted Zell talking to another girl. _Ooh, who's that?_ She wondered to herself. She chanced a look back up at Irvine and nodded her head in the direction of their feisty friend and the new girl.  
  
"Oh, nice choice, Dincht." Irvine spoke as he and Selphie closed in on the two. The girl looked rather surprised to see two strange looking people coming towards them with rather large grins on their faces. She turned to Zell and smiled nervously.  
  
"Um... friends of yours?" she asked him hesitantly. Zell shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at the two dangerously.  
  
"Sort of," he replied, glaring at the two. Selphie giggled and Irvine put a hand on the top of Zell's head.  
  
Selphie hopped in front of the girl and shoved her hand out. "I'm Selphie! Who are you?"  
  
"Paige," the girl responded. "I work in the Library. Um... It's nice to meet you...?" She still looked a bit scared. Zell threw his hands into the air and started shooing his two comrades away.  
  
Irvine laughed and put his hands up. "Alright, alright. We're leaving. C'mon, Selph." He took hold of Selphie's arm and pulled her away to keep the lonely Quistis some company.  
  
It was around this time that Squall and Rinoa entered the Quad. They made their way down the stairs and stopped in front of the main area. Rinoa let out a gasp and clapped her hands together in front of her.  
  
"This is all for me?" she seemed more excited than she wanted to look. Squall shrugged and started down to Quistis, Irvine, and Selphie. The cowboy looked over and grinned, waving to them. Rinoa smiled as she skipped over.  
  
Selphie met her halfway there, jumping into a hug with the raven haired girl. The two laughed as they pulled apart. "Rinoa! Welcome back!" Selphie shouted out as Quistis made her way over. The girls began to talk excitedly about Rinoa's conflict with General Caraway and how she 'miraculously' gained independence for Timber.  
  
None of this was to Squall's interest. Irvine stood beside him, arms folding over his chest. "You don't seem so happy. Your girlfriend's back, why are you being so depressed?" Squall grunted and glared down at the ground.  
  
"I don't know what to say to her." He admitted. After two months, he didn't have anything interesting to tell her. She must have had so many stories, but he was afraid he'd bore her to death. He glanced back up to see her laughing with the other two girls. _Something must have been funny._ She smiled and looked over to him. He felt his breath catch in his chest and immediately turned away.  
  
"Y'know, you should try talking to her. Even Zell's doing better than you." Irvine motioned over to Zell and Paige and chuckled. Then, Selphie's voice became loud as she began to laugh even harder. _Rinoa must have done something funny during her fight against Deling to make Selphie laugh that hard.  
_  
"Geez, Rinoa. Somebody must've died and made you Queen." Quistis commented as she patted Selphie's shoulder, trying to calm her down.  
  
Rinoa shrugged and put on an innocent face. "It's not like I killed him or anything... Besides, if I became Queen, Squall would have to become King," She looked over to Squall and Irvine again and shouted out, "Isn't that right, your highness?" Squall frowned slightly and shook his head.  
  
Suddenly, the song changed and a rather familiar tune began to play. Rinoa looked over to the 'orchestra' first, then to Squall. He seemed to recognize it as well. The 'Waltz for the Moon' had sort of become their song after everything that had happened.  
  
Irvine grinned and gave Squall a nudge before leaving him to take Selphie's hand and pull her out onto the dance floor, accompanied by Zell and Paige, their resident Library Girl. Quistis looked back and forth between Rinoa and Squall before smiling. "I'll go... dance, I think." And she left, making her way to Seifer and pulling him out onto the dance floor before he could reject her and Fujin could grab him.  
  
It took a few seconds before Rinoa smiled and made her way over to him. She reached out and took his hand, fingers lacing together with his. He seemed surprised, just as he had the first time they danced to this song, and Rinoa couldn't help but laugh. "You're the only good looking guy here," she said. "I don't want to stand alone on the dance floor."  
  
Soon, the dance floor was filled with couples, all dancing in synchronization to the song. Squall knew how to do it without making a fool of himself this time, as well. The music slowed down greatly and the two pulled in close, just as every other couple did. Swaying back and forth with the music, twirling out, twirling back in... It was a wonderful replay of a memory to Rinoa. She smiled as she was pulled back into his arms, his grip on her hand tightening.  
  
A crash sounded from somewhere outside the Garden and suddenly red lights were flashing, a siren blaring over the sound of the waltz. The music and dancers came to a halt as Cid's voice came over the intercom.  
  
"**Students of Balamb Garden! We are under attack! I repeat, we are under attack! Report to your stations immediately!**"  
  
The dance floor was abandoned as the people rushed to the center of the Garden and to their own assigned stations. Quistis ran to the infirmary to take orders from the Doctor as Selphie, Zell, and Irvine ran for the front gate to be the second line of defense. Squall started on his way to the elevator, but remembered Rinoa and turned back around. She stood calmly by a bench in the second layer of the Quad.  
  
"Rinoa, come with me!" he ordered and she gave a nod, quickly running up the stairs. The two ran for the elevator and made their way up to the third floor, Cid's office. The doors flung open and Squall stopped in front of Cid's desk. The rounded man looked to Squall with surprise written all over his face. "What's attacking us, sir?"

----------  
  
Irvine and Selphie ran to the west side of the entrance while Zell made a dash for the east. Other SeeD's began to run for their stations, one knocking Selphie over. Irvine cursed at the young man before pulling Selphie back to her feet. "Are you alright?"  
  
Selphie was about to respond, but something caught her attention. She pointed over Irvine's shoulder and whimpered softly. Slowly, cautiously, the man turned around. Irvine's eyes grew in shock as he took a step back, arm stretching out in front of Selphie as if to protect her. "No way..." he murmured as he stared at the creature coming down in front of them.

----------  
  
Squall was getting impatient with Cid's silence. He slammed his palms down on the desk and tried to ask again. "What's attacking us?" he shouted out. Rinoa ran to his side, putting her hands on his arms and trying to pull him back from the Headmaster.  
  
Cid seemed confused at first, then glanced out the window, as if something were there. All Squall could see was green. The forest, the grass. Then he noticed something move. It was coming from the sky. The one to recognize it first was Rinoa.  
  
She let out a cry and stumbled back as it sent a shock from the darkening clouds above into the Garden. "It's Quezecotl!"

* * *

**A/N: I'm a horrible person for doing this... oo; Trust me, I believe there's going to be a lot of "cliffhangers" like this. See, it's not really a cliffhanger 'cause you know what it is, but... then... you don't know what's going to happen. Well obviously, I think you know what's going to happen. X.x Okay. Next chapter should go more into the plot. It'll give it a little bit of a shove, at least. I wanted this chapter to set up the relationships a bit more.  
  
Alright, don't forget! Review! Review!! **


	3. Battle With the Sky

**Long Live the King  
  
A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews. :3 I love them. Thank you to Shandy, Hassun, and jesustoner. See? Now you're in my story. .; Alright. I'm gonna try to get Rinoa to talk to Squall a bit more this chapter around. Wish me luck! (Seems like I kind of threw the idea of planning the chapters out the window...)  
  
Chapter 3: Battle With the Sky  
**  
Selphie cried out as the Guardian Force sent a bolt between Irvine and herself. Sparks flew and burnt lightly at her bare legs. "Why is it fighting us?" She shouted out amidst the shrieks of other members of the second defense SeeD's.  
  
The cowboy pulled the Exeter out and filled it with Demolition Ammo. "I'm not sure," He shouted back, aiming the gun at the stomach of the green creature, "But we have to fight back."

----------  
  
Meanwhile, Quistis turned to a pair of SeeD's looking rather frightened by the frenzy going on outside the Garden. "You two!" She pointed at the two, then towards the doorway. "Get out there and find students that may be injured." The young girl whimpered and held tightly to the male SeeD. He glared to Quistis, wrapping his arms protectively around the girl.  
  
"How can you tell us to go out there when she's obviously terrified?" He objected. Something twitched inside of Quistis' mind. The last thing she needed was a wannabe-rebel.  
  
"Get out there and help your fellow SeeD's or be publicly humiliated when this is all over... Even worse, lose your SeeD status and become students under **my** jurisdiction again."  
  
One last glare and the two ran from the Infirmary, Quistis' blue eyes glaring into their backs until they were out of her sight. Doctor Kadowaki came up behind Quistis and placed her hand on the instructor's shoulder. "Relax, Quistis. It's only one attacker, I'm sure everything will be alright."  
  
But the words were spoken too soon.

----------  
  
Zell came from the side and jumped into the air, reaching out to grab hold of Quezecotl. The beast hovered just above his reach and he came crashing back down, falling into the bushes below. The Guardian Force seemed to look up to the dark sky and it gave a whining noise. It became high pitched and all SeeD's outside covered their ears and dropped to their knees.  
  
"What's it doing?" Selphie screamed out, trying her hardest to keep the sound out of her head. Zell had gotten out of the bushes, but was now doing just as everyone else. Irvine made his way over to Selphie and crouched down beside her. The two looked up to only see a blinding flash. Everything went white.

----------  
  
Squall glared at the creature he had once used to fight against Ultimecia. "Why is it fighting against us? Has someone summoned it?" Cid shook his head, not able to answer his questions.  
  
Rinoa found the courage to run to the window, palms placed flat against the glass as she looked onward at what was happening below. She saw Zell jump and try to hit the creature, but it was too high for him. And then they all dropped to their knees. What's happening? She thought to herself as she watched. Suddenly, the glass shattered and she fell back, hands over her ears as the high pitched screaming rang through her entire body.  
  
She saw Squall and Cid fall as well, both trying to protect their ears from such a high frequency. "Stop..." she murmured as the sound seemed to rise in level. "Please, stop..." And then there was a flash of light.  
  
The noise stopped and Rinoa looked to see the entire Garden glowing with electricity. "What's going on?" She shouted out, turning in every which direction as bolts passed through the walls.  
  
"Quezecotl has hit us with a large amount of power. It just turned us into a very big lightning rod..." Cid responded, staring in wonder. Squall was at Rinoa's side in a heartbeat, hands holding hers.  
  
She could feel her face get hot as she saw the intensity of his gaze down on her. Finally, he spoke, breaking her from her fluttering heart. "You're bleeding." She looked down at her hands to see blood staining them, little bits of glass stuck in her palms. It was only then that she felt the pain.  
  
"Go to the infirmary. Have Quistis take care of you," He ordered. He didn't like ordering Rinoa, but she had to clean the blood off and get the glass out. She was hesitant, but she nodded in response and began to pull away. Before getting too far, she quickly turned back and gave him a quick hug, making sure not to touch him with her hands.  
  
"I missed you..." She whispered. And then she was out the door and down the elevator.

----------  
  
Selphie and Irvine quickly stood. Zell stumbled over to the two and shook his head. "What the hell was that?"  
  
Irvine turned to look at the Garden. He put his hands on Selphie's shoulders and turned her around as well. The sunshine of the group let out a gasp and put a hand over her mouth. She saw electricity run through the Garden randomly, attracting the bolts from above. "When could Quezecotl do _that_?"  
  
They looked back to Quezecotl. It was looking up again. Light was filling parts of the sky just above the Garden. "It's getting ready to attack the Garden! We have to hit it first!" Irvine ordered out. Several other SeeD's that were nearby began to build up magic attacks and others with long- ranged weapons went for the battle.  
  
Selphie attached her Strange Vision and began to cast Shell on the group. The pink orb closed around Irvine, herself, Zell, and two or three SeeD's close enough to take her help. Zell gave her a thumbs up and went through his own magic source. He didn't have much, but anything was helpful.  
  
Then he remembered. "Hey, hey guys! I have Ifrit! We can use Ifrit on Quezecotl!" Selphie nodded as Irvine pulled the trigger, sending a shot at the creature's abdomen. He stepped back as Zell summoned the fiery beast from hell.  
  
The ground turned red and began to rumble. Fire shot from cracks that split through the ground and everything became hot.  
  
Suddenly, everything cooled down and reverted back to normal. "Huh? Where's Ifrit?" Zell asked, head tilting to the side. The Guardian Force never showed up. "Maybe... you can't fight one Guardian Force... With another...?" He tried to answer himself.  
  
"We don't have time to worry about it. Just hit it with all you've got!" Irvine shouted out as he ran back towards Quezecotl.  
  
Selphie threw her arms up and shouted out, "Curaga!" The blue energy ran through her body and she almost giggled at the feeling. Then she cast a few more on the SeeD's that looked like they wouldn't make it without her help.  
  
Zell frowned in frustration and tried to shrug it off. He went through his magic again and cast Watera on the green beast.

----------  
  
Squall frowned as he watched the battle below. "Stay in here, Cid. And, if you can, stay under your desk." Was that an attempt at a joke? Was he saying Cid was too fat to fit under his desk?  
  
"I'm not that big, Squall..." The headmaster pouted slightly then crawled underneath his desk as a bolt of electricity shot between two walls, and just where his head had been. Squall grunted, maybe an attempt at a chuckle, and left the room. He ran for the elevator, then thought twice about it and took the stairs, jumping three at a time to get down faster.

----------  
  
Rinoa entered the Infirmary and spotted Quistis trying to calm down a little girl that had gotten lost. The instructor patted the little girl on the head then looked over to Rinoa. She saw the blood and was immediately at her side.  
  
"What happened to you?" She pulled the woman in blue to the sink and began to wash the blood off with cold water. The instructor got a pair of tweezers and carefully began to pull the glass out of Rinoa's hands.  
  
"Well – ouch – I was watching the fight outside – ouch – and that noise – oh, Hyne! – shattered the glass." Rinoa explained between the pulling of the glass from her hands. Doctor Kadowaki brought in two injured students, followed by the wannabe-rebel from before carrying one of the heftier SeeD's, the girl helping him out and looking less terrified than before.  
  
"Quistis, I may need your help..." Doctor Kadowaki spoke calmly, despite the situation. The instructor nodded her head and dabbed at the cuts on Rinoa's hand lightly with a ball of cotton before wrapping her hands up.  
  
"My help is needed, but try and stay away from glass, alright?" She smiled to Rinoa then left her to help the Doctor and two SeeD's. The sorceress nodded and left the Infirmary. She reached the directory, only to see Squall go running out to the Front Gate of the Garden.  
  
_He's going to fight Quezecotl... Well, not without my help!_ She thought, and ran after him.

----------  
  
Quezecotl let out a screech as another round of bullets plowed through its wings. It crashed down onto the ground, several students with rifles taking their aim again. Selphie cast another round of Curaga then slid down to the ground. "I'm out, and Quezecotl just won't go away..." she whimpered.  
  
"We're going to win this, Selphie. Keep your spirits up." Irvine shouted as he sent a round of Demolition Ammo into Quezecotl. It shrieked and looked to the sky. The clouds rumbled and began to send bolts into a center position just above Garden.  
  
Zell looked up and cursed. "Shit, it's going to attack and we can't stop it!" Then something dark ran past him. He stared in wonder as Squall jumped and slid the blade down the Guardian Force. A green liquid began to ooze out and it seemed to scream in pain.  
  
But Quezecotl hadn't given up yet.  
  
The bolts above charged and sent one large electrical current down towards the Garden.  
  
"Reflect!"  
  
There was the noise of metal hitting metal and the bolt from the skies bounced off the Garden and crashed into Quezecotl. The beast let out an ear piercing shriek and began to hover above the ground again. The electrical current seemed to heal it completely.  
  
Rinoa ran out of the Garden entrance and let out a sigh of relief. The Guardian Force may have been healed, but the Garden was also safe. How she had mustered enough strength to cast a Reflect spell over the entire Garden was a mystery to even herself, but she wasn't going to take it for granted.  
  
As she looked onward, a strange thing happened. The once ferocious Guardian Force began to ascend into the clouds until it was completely gone. The clouds lost their darkness and the storm seemed to calm down.  
  
SeeD's from all over looked up in confusion. "Is it gone?" One asked nervously, hoping not to jinx them all.  
  
A few minutes later and the Garden was still seemingly safe. Squall ordered them all to go back inside, but remain on guard. That left Irvine, Zell, Selphie, himself, and Rinoa outside. Selphie never took her eyes off of the sky.  
  
"Why did Quezecotl attack us?" She asked as she finally looked to the small group.  
  
Squall shook his head and looked over them. "I don't know, but we'll have to find out. Did you guys see anything strange? Anyone strange?"  
  
Irvine and Selphie shrugged while Zell thought back to the battle. "You think someone summoned Quezecotl against us?" He asked, looking questioningly over to Squall.  
  
Suddenly, Selphie jumped an inch forward, waving her hands in the air to get their attention. "I remember something strange! Zell, you summoned Ifrit. Remember? Ifrit didn't come out!"  
  
And silence fell over the group.  
  
Rinoa spoke up first and last for that moment. "The only one that has Quezecotl in their Junction is Squall. Obviously he didn't summon it... Ifrit didn't come out for Zell. Why would the Guardian Force's rebel?"

* * *

**A/N: ...I swear, I will never write a battle again. That was... Horrible! ::cries:: T.T There will be more battles but... I think I'll find someone else to write them for me. Anyhow, if you don't think too much about the bad writing, how did you like the idea of the chapter? n.n;; I promise, I'll write a better one next time around. I really promise this time!  
  
Don't forget our favorite part of the story! Reviewing! :D**


	4. Questions Unanswered

**Long Live the King  
  
A/N: Glad to hear my battle scene wasn't as horrible as I thought. I still don't like it too much, but I'm happy with what I did with Quistis in the beginning. This chapter, as written in my little planning book, isn't going to be quite as exciting as the last. Aww...  
  
Chapter 4: Questions Unanswered  
**  
It had only been a couple hours since the battle with Quezecotl and everyone was still exhausted. The orphan group and Rinoa were sitting in Cid's office now. Quistis was typing away at the computer with Rinoa hovering over her shoulder while Selphie slept in the far corner, Irvine sitting quietly beside her. Zell had been pacing a long ditch into the carpet for the last half hour and Squall was standing by the shattered windows, mind far from where he was now.  
  
Some minutes later, Rinoa came up to his side, gently placing a wrapped hand on his shoulder. "Squall..?" She spoke softly, hoping to get his attention without startling him. He turned his head just enough to catch a glimpse of her smiling face. "Are you alright?"  
  
He nodded slightly and glanced down to watch Cid as he ordered SeeD's to try and repair the damage done to the front gate of their beautiful Garden. Rinoa watched him closely. She watched his expressions as he thought over what had happened below, how it could have happened, why it happened... She frowned and grabbed his hand as well as she could.  
  
This act, of course, brought surprise to the young man and he instinctively tried to pull away, yet - for a woman with injured hands - she had a strong grip. He stopped at his first attempt at struggling and turned to face her.  
  
Before he could get a word out, she began to pull him out of the office. "Talking. Me. You. Now." This force surprised him further and he allowed himself to be taken out by her; Quistis, Zell, and Irvine staring in wonder till they were gone and the doors were closed.  
  
"What do you think that was about?" Quistis asked, breaking the silence. Zell shook his head and shrugged.  
  
The young couple entered the elevator and Rinoa hit the button for the first floor. The machine started to move downward. She turned to Squall and crossed her arms over her stomach. "What's been on your mind?"  
  
He looked to her, then to the elevator doors. "This ride wouldn't last long enough for me to tell you everything," he responded softly, leaning back against the side.  
  
From all the time Rinoa had gotten to spend with Squall, she had figured out ways to get what she wanted out of him. To get her point across, she slammed her palm onto the Emergency Stop button of the elevator, effectively bringing the machine to a halt between the first and second floors.  
  
"Now, I'll try this again..." She took a deep breath then smiled as she nursed at the hand she used to hit the Emergency Stop button. "What's been on your mind?"

----------  
  
Selphie whimpered softly in her sleep and Irvine wrapped an arm gently around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. He sighed and glanced over to Quistis who was still going through the computer files. "Did you find anything on the Guardian Force's?"  
  
The instructor shook her head sadly and continued going through. "They have reports on the Guardian Force's, giving information we already know. They cause slow memory loss, only appear to those who have them junctioned, give extra power, yadda, yadda..." She read off the screen and frowned.  
  
"Check on them appearing for the ones who have them junctioned," Zell suddenly spoke up. He stopped pacing and was at Quistis' side, reading the screen carefully. Quistis clicked on the report and looked through it.  
  
"Nothing. Its things we already know. It doesn't explain why they would fight back." Zell let out a frustrated sigh and hung his head low.  
  
"I just don't get it..." he grumbled before going back to his pacing grounds.

----------  
  
Squall had his third surprise in the last five minutes. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "You've been gone for two months-"  
  
"My feelings never changed. You're the only one that I thought about. Every time I was in Deling, all I could think about was how you saved me, how scared I was when Sorceress Edea attacked you that night... Every single thing I saw reminded me of you. Squall... do you have any idea how much I wanted to leave it all and come back here just to see you again?" Rinoa could hear her own heart pounding in her head as she watched him for a response. She wasn't getting anything... "I was afraid that... you might have moved o-"  
  
Squall wrapped his arms around her small figure and pulled her close, holding her to his body as tightly as he could without hurting her. "Why would you think something stupid like that?" He asked softly.  
  
Rinoa gave a small gasp at the sudden move, but soon relaxed in the embrace. This was one of Squall's tender moments that she, and only she, was able to have. Suddenly, the elevator doors opened.

----------  
  
Quistis shut the computer down and stood up, stretching her arms up before making her way around the desk and over to the doors. "We're not getting anything from the computers... Maybe Matron will know something."  
  
Irvine nodded and carefully stood up. He gently lifted Selphie up, cradling her in his arms, and followed the instructor out. Zell frowned and jumped over the desk and into the chair. "There has to be something on here," he grumbled.  
  
Quistis pressed the button for the elevator and turned to Irvine and the sleeping Selphie as she waited for it to come up. "Maybe you should drop her off in her dorm room before we ask Matron," she suggested, hand brushing away a loose strand of chestnut hair from Selphie's face.  
  
Irvine smiled down at the instructor, then to the bundle of sunshine in his arms. "She really is adorable, huh?" Quistis smiled and nodded before turning to the elevator doors as a small chime sounded to announce the machine's arrival.  
  
The doors opened, and Quistis simply blinked at the scene.  
  
"Ah! Squall, Rinoa... I thought you guys went to the first floor..." Irvine grinned as the two in sight separated. Quistis smiled as she noticed their hands still intertwined.  
  
"Where's Zell?" Rinoa asked as she made room for Quistis and Irvine, sleeping Selphie still in his arms.  
  
Quistis motioned a hand to the office as the doors to the elevator closed. "He's still trying to find information on the Guardian Force's on the computer," she replied.  
  
Squall glanced questioningly over to Irvine with Selphie. The cowboy laughed nervously then quickly cleared his throat. "Well, we're here!" He gave a big smile and left as soon as the doors gave him enough room to slip out with Selphie safe in his arms.  
  
Quistis smiled and left as well, with Squall and Rinoa following behind her. "I'm planning on asking Matron if she knows anything about the Guardian Force's... Squall, you and Rinoa should ask around the Garden. Maybe ask other SeeD's if they saw anything unusual during the fight." She was acting like their instructor again.  
  
Squall nodded and started walking off, his grip on Rinoa's hand loosening, and then releasing completely. The sorceress frowned slightly, but let it slide.

----------  
  
Day turned to night, and they came back to the third floor with nothing more than they already knew. Rinoa had yet to return.  
  
Selphie was wide awake this time around. "I got nothing..." She said sadly as they tried putting their information together.  
  
The cowboy at her side put a hand on the top of her head and ruffled lightly at her hair. "It's alright." Then he turned to Headmaster Cid, who had joined them not too long ago. "Did you get anything from the clean-up crew?"  
  
"No. They said they didn't find anything." Cid replied.

Squall frowned and turned to Zell. "Did you get anything?" The fighter shook his head and the room went quiet.  
  
Quistis put a finger to her chin and glanced up momentarily. She seemed to be in deep thought before looking towards Squall. "Where did Rinoa run off to?"  
  
He shrugged. "She said she was going to try the Library after we split apart from you."  
  
And, as if on cue, Rinoa came running into the room. She stopped and bent over, one hand placed on her knee. Her free arm held something close to her chest, as if it were the key to the heart of the world.  
  
"Rinoa! What happened?" Quistis was by her side, hand gently placed on her back. Selphie hopped to the sorceress' side and crouched down so she could look up to the woman's face.  
  
"What's wrong, Rinoa? You look like you've been running for your life!"  
  
Rinoa took a few deep breaths and stood up straight. What she held so dearly was a rather thick book, the pages rimmed with silver to make it shine. A certain familiar seriousness flashed through chocolate oculars as she looked around the room. This was a look the group had associated with Squall. It wasn't something they had been used to seeing on such a calm girl as Rinoa.  
  
"The Guardian Force's," she managed out, taking another deep breath. Her gaze settled on Squall as she opened the book from where she had bookmarked a page. She turned the opened book to her comrades, exposing a picture of a six-legged horse and the armored man riding it. "They had a king."

* * *

**A/N: Woo! That sent chills down my spine. How 'bout yours? :3 I love that last paragraph. It's my favorite part... And how'd we like the Squinoa, Shandy? :D I put it there, just for you! Anyhow... This chapter turned out better than I expected it to. The beginning, not so great, the ending, wonderful! :D Review, Review! **


	5. Misleading Children

**Long Live the King  
  
A/N: I'm in a very good mood right now. You have no idea. :D I went back over the last four chapters and uploaded them again, but this time with divider thingies between the scenes so you could know when one Squinoa moment ended and some other scene began. Just so you could skip the other scenes and continue with the Squinoa. :3 Also, I have no idea if you can call an elevator back up if you press the emergency stop button. .; I don't even think they have stairs in the Garden, but I put those in there, too. :D  
  
Personally, I think Carbuncle should be King. D  
  
Chapter 5: Misleading Children**  
  
Squall flipped through the pages of a thin book, every now and then reading a few lines before flipping through it once again. Zell glanced over to him, raising an eyebrow as he watched him flip through, stop, then flip again.  
  
"Squall... Dude... You've flipped the pages of that book about five hundred times now. Don't you think you should just read the book? Or grab another one?"  
  
The commander frowned and set the book down. "Rinoa said that the Guardian Force's have a King. Or... _had_ a King, all thanks to Almasy." He placed a gloved palm to the cover of the book he had been looking through, tapping at it with a finger. "I thought maybe, since this book is centered on Odin, it would have some of the answers we need."  
  
Zell sighed and shook his head before running a hand through that mountain of blonde spikes.  
  
Irvine smiled at the two, then glanced over to spot Selphie and Paige, their Library Girl, giggling and coming towards the three men and Quistis, a rather flat but wide book being clutched in the arms of Paige. "Hey, Zell... Looks like your girlfriend found something interesting."  
  
The hot headed SeeD glared up at Irvine, then looked expectantly to the two girls. "What'dya have?"  
  
Paige and Selphie exchanged looks before handing the book over to Zell. He stared at it for a few seconds in silence, causing Irvine to look over his shoulder. There was a long pause before even Quistis became interested and closed the book she had been reading to look.  
  
Slowly, Quistis took the book and made her way to Squall. "I think you should look at this..." She tried to sound as serious as possible. Quickly, she returned to the group, hand over her mouth to stifle any oncoming laughs.  
  
Squall stared at it then looked up to his so-called friends through his bangs. "You're joking..."  
  
"Nope! That book shows secret passages in the Centra Ruins. You know, where we first found Odin! There might be something there." Selphie smiled and turned to look at Paige. "See? We did find something useful!"  
  
Squall's gaze slowly fell back on the colorful cover of the book. He opened it up and stared at the equally colorful, if not more, pages of the creation he held and the super-sized letters. "But, Selphie... It's a children's book. These passages could just be created from a child's imagination."  
  
The cheerful girl put two fingers to her chin and played with an imaginary beard. "Even so, it wouldn't hurt to check it out, right?"  
  
"She has a point," Irvine spoke up. He walked over to Squall and snatched the book from his hands, looking through the colorful pages and where the passageways were hidden.  
  
Squall frowned and waved a hand in the air. "Fine. We'll check it out. Somebody go get Rinoa."  
  
The group looked over at each other for a bit before Zell spoke up. "Where _is_ Rinoa?"

----------  
  
The woman in question sat quietly in the room she had been given for her stay. It was something of a guest dorm room for the Garden. In her hands she held the book that she had introduced to the group the day before in Cid's office. She turned to the page with the picture of Odin and frowned.  
  
_Odin was their King..._ She thought to herself while turning the page. She read through a few paragraphs and sighed. "But Seifer killed Odin... So they-" Slowly she turned back to the page with the picture of the late King and his horse and stared at it. "They don't have a king anymore."  
  
A knock at the door startled her and she quickly shut the book and lost her train of thought. "Who is it?"  
  
"Selphie!" The girl shouted from the other side. Rinoa smiled and left the book on her desk to open the door. There stood Selphie and the girl she had seen with Zell when she had arrived to her 'welcoming committee'.  
  
"This is Paige. The Library Girl. And Zell's girlfriend." Rinoa smiled to Paige and held a hand out.  
  
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Rinoa Heartilly."  
  
Paige nodded and took her hand, shaking politely. "I've heard a lot about you from Selphie on the way over. A resistance group leader, huh?" Paige smiled to Rinoa. The sorceress glanced to Selphie, then back to Paige.  
  
"Yes, well... Not anymore, since we achieved our goal of gaining Timber's independence. Now, does Squall need me for something?"  
  
Selphie looked off to one side, then to the other, as if it were a big secret. "We're going to go check out the Centra Ruins for the secret passageways. We're taking the Ragnarok. Paige is gonna stay here and find more information for us."  
  
Rinoa smiled and walked out of the doorway, closing and locking the door behind her. "Another adventure? Sounds fun, let's go!"

----------  
  
The group gathered on the bridge of the Ragnarok a little after getting Rinoa. Selphie hopped into the pilot's seat and pumped a fist into the air. "Yeah! I missed you so much." She made an attempt to hug the controls, then giggled and sat up straight while Irvine sat down beside her in the co- pilots seat.  
  
"Where was this thing hiding?" Zell questioned aloud, letting his gaze wander all around the inside of the ship.  
  
Selphie grinned and swiveled around in her chair to look at him. "I put a mirror shield over the Ragnarok and parked it behind the Garden. Isn't that smart? So this way, nobody would notice it."  
  
Irvine grinned and patted the top of her head. Selphie giggled and turned back around in her chair to turn the engines on. The Ragnarok roared to life and Selphie's smile grew. And soon they were off, soaring through the skies again.

----------  
  
Selphie landed the Ragnarok near the Centra Ruins and turned to the group. "I'm going to stay here with the Ragnarok. It's been so long, I want to see if I can get used to the controls again."  
  
The sniper of the group looked to Selphie, then to the group as a whole. "I'll stay with her. You know, just in case something happens."  
  
Quistis frowned down at him, one hand resting on her hip while the other fingered her whip, Save the Queen. Irvine laughed and waved his hands in front of his face. "Seriously! You never know when something might sneak onboard and attack! And it wouldn't be smart to leave poor, defensele— Ow!"  
  
Selphie pulled her nunchaku back to their straps on her back and "Hmph"ed. Zell laughed at Irvine, who was now rubbing at the back of his head.  
  
"Guys, let's get serious now." Quistis ordered. "Squall and Rinoa have already headed out. Zell and I will go with them, and you two will stay here and keep an eye out for anything strange. Selphie, you have permission to kick Irvine out and leave with the Ragnarok if anything happens. And I mean... _anything_."  
  
Irvine gulped and nodded as Selphie gave a thumbs up.

----------  
  
Zell and Quistis caught up to Squall and Rinoa, both of which stood by the entrance of the Ruins. Squall looked down at the book he held and sighed. _I feel so... ridiculous._  
  
Rinoa stole a quick glance at the book then started forward, Zell and Quistis following behind her. "Let's go, Squall. Staring at that book isn't going to get us anywhere at the moment."  
  
Squall grumbled a few words and closed the children's book.

----------  
  
It had been hours and they found nothing. "I was right. It was just something invented from a child's imagination."  
  
Quistis gave a sigh and rubbed at her temples. "I know. But it didn't hurt to try. There were no other leads. Let's get back to the Ragnarok."  
  
The four headed up the ramp and made their way to the bridge. Selphie looked over and smiled brightly. "Did you guys find anything?"  
  
Zell shook his head and slumped into a nearby chair. "Nothing. The book was just there to look pretty." He grumbled.  
  
Squall sat in a chair across from Zell and put his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. "Let's just go back." He let his hands drop down and he leaned back in the chair. Two arms came down from behind and gently wrapped around him. He felt a slight pressure on the top of his head and he reached up, resting a hand on the blue arm-warmers.  
  
Rinoa smiled and squeezed lightly before letting go of him.  
  
Selphie smiled childishly at the scene before Quistis waved her attention away. Selphie's eyes then widened and she waved her arms around frantically. "I just remembered something!"  
  
All attention was soon on her. "Paige gave us a call from the Garden. She found something!" Selphie turned and prodded Irvine with her elbow. Apparently he had dozed off. Quistis liked to think that maybe Selphie had just knocked him out.  
  
Zell looked over and gave a grin. "I knew she'd find something useful! Isn't she smart?"  
  
"Yes, Zell. She's genius. We hear you mumble about her enough when you daydream..." Irvine finally spoke up. Zell growled, but was far too tired to do much else about it.  
  
"Let's get back... But if she's holding another children's story for us, we're not following anymore of her leads." Squall warned while Selphie started the engines once again.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah... I started getting very tired near the end. This chapter was a little bit pointless, too. Next chapter should move the story along a little more. Rinoa was onto something, though. The GF's no longer have a King. Let's think about this, now. Who do you think will be King?  
  
Review, Review!**


	6. Follow the Tracks

**Long Live the King  
  
A/N: That would be interesting... Chubby Chocobo as the new King of the Guardian Force's... Kinda creepy actually. I'm trying to update as quickly as I can, even with the lack of good ideas. I have an idea for this chapter, but that would make it incredibly short, and we don't want that now do we? That's what I thought.  
  
Maybe Headmaster Cid should become King!  
  
Chapter 6: Follow the Tracks**  
  
Once again, everyone was in the library. Quistis sat quietly at a table with Rinoa and Irvine while Squall and Selphie watched Zell pace back and forth.  
  
It didn't take long for Paige to show up, carrying yet another book in her arms. "Alright, this time it's a real book." She reassured Squall and began to flip through the pages. She stopped in a center page and put a finger to the line with the information they needed. "There's a certain place that the Guardian Force's go to when they leave once their attack is finished. I don't know what they call it, so we can just refer to it as the Guardian Force Realm." She looked up momentarily, "GF Realm is probably easier to say, huh?" Then down to the book again.  
  
"When certain Guardian Force's appear, it seems that they just come out of nowhere, right? Carbuncle, Doomtrain, Diablos, etcetera..." She paused, gaze focused on the ceiling as she thought about it.  
  
"What we need to do is find a way to get there, right?" Quistis spoke up, head tilted to the side.  
  
Paige nodded in response and rubbed at the back of her head. "But the question is... How?"  
  
Silence fell over the group as everyone thought over what could be done to reach this unknown 'GF Realm'. Zell glanced up from his thoughts and voiced his suggestion. "How 'bout we try going through that little hole Carbuncle comes out of?"  
  
A long pause, then Paige whapped the back of his head with the book she held. "What if it doesn't lead anywhere? And even if it does, the hole could close up on us. Carbuncle isn't all that big, you know."  
  
Zell sighed and gave a shrug. "Yeah, I know. But at least I tried. I don't see anyone else throwing out their ideas."  
  
There was a yelp and all turned to look at Selphie, whom was now in the tight hold of Irvine. "You're genius!" He grinned and put his cowboy hat on top of her head. "Selphie had a great idea, but she thinks it's stupid. C'mon, tell 'em!"  
  
A few muffled grumbles from Selphie let him know that she couldn't breathe at the moment. He released her and gently patted her back.  
  
She glared at him quickly, and then smiled to the others. "Well, it's kind of silly, but we could try catching a ride with Doomtrain."  
  
Another silence fell over the group as they thought about this.  
  
_Ride on Doomtrain? Is that even possible?_ Rinoa thought to herself. Doomtrain did come out of thin air and disappeared back into it. Maybe it would prove to be useful. "Well," she finally spoke up. "It wouldn't hurt to try, right?"  
  
Squall frowned and turned to her, arms crossing over his chest. "Last time that was said, it proved to be pointless and a waste of time."  
  
Selphie looked down and kicked lightly at the ground. "Yeah, I know. See, it was a silly idea..." She seemed to be disappointed. Irvine looked down at her and lifted the cowboy hat slightly to get her attention.  
  
"It wasn't a silly idea. Whether mean ol' Squall wants to or not, we're going to try it out." He smiled gently and pushed the hat back down on her head. Selphie seemed to accept his attempts at making her feel better and smiled up at him.  
  
"You know, if it's going to work, we're going to need to get a lot of rest, stock up on magic, fix up our weapons... all that." Quistis interrupted. She stood up and made her way to the exit of the library. "Selphie, you and Irvine go stock up on magic outside of the Garden. I know you lost all your Curaga in the battle with Quezecotl, Selphie." The two being addressed nodded and headed out.  
  
"Zell, you go into the Training Center and work on your combat skills. Try to stock up on some magic as well." Zell stood and started on his way out.  
  
Paige raised her hand and interrupted Quistis' orders. "Can I go with him?"  
  
Quistis shook her head. "No. You don't have a weapon to protect yourself with. You stay here. I'm going to check with Headmaster Cid. He's the one that gave you the Magic Lamp," Now she was talking to Squall. "I'm going to find out where he got it. Other than that, I'll see if he has any other information." And with that, she left.  
  
"And then there were three..." Rinoa said softly. She looked to Squall, then to Paige.  
  
"I don't think she likes me." Paige commented, sitting down in a nearby chair. Rinoa shook her head and sat down beside her.  
  
"She likes you. It's just... That's how Quistis is sometimes. She's so used to giving orders as an instructor that it's hard to tell the right times for being a friend and the right times for being a supervisor."  
  
Paige seemed to take this well and smiled. She stood up and made her way to the exit. "Thanks, Rinoa. I'm gonna go see if I can dig up anymore information on the computers. The books seem to have run out of information for once." And then she was gone.  
  
After a few seconds, Rinoa slowly stood and looked over to Squall. "So, what do we do? Quistis didn't give us any orders."  
  
Squall stood quietly. _Brooding..._ Rinoa thought. Finally, he turned to her and visibly relaxed.  
  
"If this does work, I want you to be careful. You're still a sorceress... We don't know how the Guardian Force's, or whatever else is in that Realm, will react to you." He left his standing post and walked over to her, gently pulling her into his arms. "And I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you..." He admitted softly.  
  
Rinoa felt her heart flutter in her chest. "Don't worry." She wrapped her arms around his torso as her head rest on his chest. "I have my knight in shining armor to protect me..."

----------  
  
Once again, Rinoa was in her room, alone. She sat at her desk and stared at the book she had abandoned not so very long ago. Squall had walked her to her room, and she suggested he stay with her tonight, but he had said, '_I want to look some things up before we end up going into something that we don't know about._'  
  
She let out a sigh and picked the book up before making her way to her bed and plopping down onto the mattress. She turned on the lamp beside her and leaned back on the pillows to make herself comfortable.  
  
"Alright, Odin. Help me out here," she muttered to herself while opening the book. She turned to her bookmarked page of the picture and frowned at it. After a few minutes of silence, she noticed something strange. There was a thin, red line drawn down the center of the picture of Odin.  
  
As she saw it, she remembered the battle that brought Odin's death. Seifer cut the armored man in half. She could see it clearly, the blade running through his body, and then the halves falling apart. The horse ran off with a cry for its master and was gone the moment their battle began with Seifer.  
  
Rinoa shook her head and let the book drop and slide down to the floor while she rubbed at her temples. "Maybe I just need sleep." She told herself before glancing to the digital clock. It read 1:47 am. She yawned and simply shifted herself till she was under the covers. Changing clothes would take far too much time and energy that she just didn't have right now. Turning off the light, she quickly fell into a deep sleep.

----------  
  
It was two hours later that Squall came to her door. He turned the knob and quietly entered the dark room. _She must have fallen asleep..._ He thought to himself as he quietly removed his shoes and jacket. Then he waited for his sight to become adjusted to the darkness before making his way to the bed.  
  
There, he saw Rinoa sleeping peacefully, body curled up beneath the thin blankets. Gloves were pulled off and set on the nightstand before he reached out and gently pushed her hair from her face. Earlier, she had wanted him to stay with her for the night, and, without really thinking about it, he brushed her off for work. He didn't even find anything useful.  
  
Slowly, and as carefully as he could, he slid into the bed beside her and wrapped an arm around her waist. He held her to his chest and let his muscles relax. "Goodnight, Rinoa." He whispered softly into her hair. She murmured something in her sleep and he couldn't help but give a small smile. Well, as much of a smile as he could. Soon, the lion slept with the angel close to his heart.

----------  
  
Eight in the morning had everyone outside of the Garden close to the forest. Selphie was fiddling with her Strange Vision and Irvine was beside her, filling the Exeter with Pulse Ammo. Zell was shadowboxing, trying to rid himself of the nervousness and excitement building up. Rinoa and Squall stood side by side, a blushing Rinoa staring down at the ground while their Commander gazed quietly off to the side.  
  
Quistis came up to the group and cracked her Save the Queen in the air for both their attention and the effect it had on the monsters that would try to sneak up on them. "Alright, who has Doomtrain junctioned?"  
  
Selphie raised a shaking hand. "I do." Irvine gently took hold of her shaking hand and gave it a small squeeze. She looked up to him and her cheeks turned to a rosy hue. "I'm just a little nervous..." she admitted to him quietly.  
  
"We're all a little nervous, Selph. Don't worry 'bout it." He reassured her. She nodded slightly and turned to Quistis again.  
  
The instructor looked around the group. "I didn't find anything on the Magic Lamp, except that it just showed up in Cid's office one day... rather mysteriously, is what Cid said, so we're going into something we don't know about. Is everyone ready?" They all gave some sort of reply, be it a grunt, nod, or punch into the air. Then she turned to Selphie. "Summon it."  
  
Selphie nodded firmly and held the Strange Vision into the air. "Doomtrain!" She called out for it, hoping it would come to her, unlike Ifrit for Zell. The sky grew dark and there was a whistle in the distance. All turned to the sound and waited, hoping for its arrival.  
  
The self-made tracks began to form along the field towards the group and Selphie whooped in excitement. "It's coming!" She shouted happily.  
  
Indeed, the train from hell was coming down its own tracks. It got closer, and Zell stopped fidgeting. "Um... This isn't going to work," he shouted out to the group. Rinoa took a step forward as she watched the train that was fast approaching.  
  
"Squall! It's not slowing down!" She shouted out. Squall cursed beneath his breath and ran forward as the tracks began to form beside them. There was no enemy for Doomtrain, so it continued on its way. "Squall!" Rinoa shouted out again.  
  
The train began to run by them. Squall turned to the group and held a hand up to get their attention. "We're jumping on!" He ordered. And with that, he reached out and grabbed a bar on the side of the train. Quistis followed his order and jumped to the train, grabbing hold of it as it went by. This was followed by Rinoa and Zell.  
  
Irvine grabbed hold of Selphie's hand and ran forward, grabbing the end of the train. He pulled Selphie up beside him and she grabbed onto the railing. She pulled herself over and into the Doomtrain just as it faded from view. The sky lit up again in daylight and a few birds began to sing. A Bite Bug buzzed by and entered the forest.  
  
Besides that, all else was calm.

* * *

**A/N: Finally! I needed a few days to get into the good mood of writing for this. I'm rather proud of this chapter, now. :3 I love Doomtrain (obviously), and I figured, since Selphie loves trains, I'd give her Doomtrain and let her have the brilliant idea of summoning it and catching a ride. :O See? Not all the GF's are rebelling. Tell me what you think. The next few chapters are going to be difficult to write... There's going to be my attempts at battles again. .; So... Be prepared.  
  
Review, Review!! **


	7. Into Your Unknown Land

**Long Live the King  
  
A/N: Wow, it's been a while, hasn't it? I lost interest in FF8 and started falling in love with Yuffentine again. .; Woops. Anyhow... While in my 'break', I planned out how the story was going to continue and how it was going to end. One problem, I have three endings that I could use, but I don't know which one. You'll help me figure it out when we get closer to the end. :O  
  
Chapter 7: Into Your Unknown Land  
**  
The six regrouped in the second car of the Hell Train, all looking a little shaken from their possibly life-threatening jump into the moving Guardian Force. Selphie took a good look around and let out a whimper as she clung to Quistis at her right.  
  
"What's wrong with this thing?" the once spunky girl questioned, wide emeralds staring at the walls of flesh and handles of bone.  
  
Quistis put a free hand over her nose and mouth, as she looked over the intricate designs that the flesh of both creatures and humans had been molded. "Doomtrain lives up to its name," she managed to say without throwing up. All persons of the party had their own unique look of disgust as they attempted to stay in the center of the car.  
  
Doomtrain came to a screeching halt and Zell felt as if he could have died when he fell against one of the soft walls. "Holy Shiva! It's all gooey and _everything_!"  
  
Squall looked around calmly then stepped towards the door of bones. "It's our stop."  
  
The others watched cautiously, none moving. Irvine took a step forward and held a hand up. "Um... is there another way to get out of the train without actually... touching anything? You know, 'cause the girls don't like it."  
  
Rinoa frowned and took a defiant step towards Squall - and that horrid door made of bones. "I'm not scared! Come on, let's go." She pointed forward and grinned as well as she could in the dead train. Squall shrugged and headed forward, gloved hands grabbing the bones and opening the doorway.  
  
The sorceress started out after him, only to have a force of black energy send her flying back and into a wall.  
  
"Rinoa!" Squall went to re-enter the train, but he was too late. The Guardian Force left him. It wasn't a slow start, either. The force of the immediate speed threw the others to the ground, all struggling to get back to their feet.  
  
And this left Squall alone in the everlasting darkness.

----------  
  
Another screeching halt and the five carefully edged towards the doorway together. "Maybe if we all try to squeeze through, it'll let us all leave together..?" Selphie suggested, never loosening her grip on what was now Irvine's arm. Quistis looked over at her over Zell's head and shrugged.  
  
"It couldn't hurt to try..."  
  
And, with the words of doom, the five shuffled to the doorway all together. Once they got there, another problem arose.  
  
"Who's going to open the door?" Zell asked.  
  
Rinoa looked around and smiled. "Whoever's wearing gloves... Zell, you're the lucky one."  
  
Zell could have cried.  
  
The door was open ten minutes later, after much arguing and complaining, and the five once again began to shuffle out. The energy blast seemed to be much stronger this time, as four people were shot back. This time, they knew not to try and get up. Once again the train sped off, leaving Zell to stand quietly in a land that could resemble every child's vision of Hell.  
  
A silence fell over the four as they slowly stood. "Doomtrain is picking where it wants us to end up. Probably where it wants us to die." Quistis spoke quietly. "If we don't want to be blasted away every time we try to get out, we need to just find a way to figure out who leaves at those certain times."  
  
Rinoa looked around at the flesh walls and reached out, fingertips running lightly over the stitches and molding. "You're saying that it's okay if we get separated." At first she seemed calm, but it was only a few more seconds before her nails dug into the flesh. "That's not okay! Why can't we just sit in the train? Even when it stops? Then Zell and Squall can find us and we can just leave!"  
  
She was scared, and wasn't going to hide it. Selphie made her way over and gently hugged her. "We have to face this." Now that wasn't something they'd expect from Selphie, but that's where it came from. Rinoa relaxed in the comfort and let out a sigh.  
  
"I know," then she pulled away and sat in the corner. Irvine glanced to the wall that Rinoa had taken her pain out on and noticed something strange.  
  
"Not that I want to interrupt this lovely moment, but can flesh bleed? I mean, when there's no body?" The others turned to look and noticed the nail marks left blood trickling down the side.  
  
There was a long pause before Selphie took a step back. "That's gross."  
  
No one had realized that the train had stopped. Not until now. The doors had opened themselves and there was a wall of darkness. "So, how do we figure out who goes next?" Irvine asked quietly.  
  
Rinoa took a step forward and held a hand out. She could already see the crackling energy forming into the spot her hand would land. The sorceress took a step back and shrugged. "It's not me. Just hold your hand up to it."  
  
Quistis nodded and took a step forward. She copied Rinoa's movements and frowned. "Maybe only you can see it..?" She asked quietly. Rinoa shook her head and put a hand onto Quistis' shoulder.  
  
"Be careful, Quistis. We don't know what's out there." Rinoa said softly, giving the girl a hug before stepping back. Selphie jumped forward and hugged the instructor tightly.  
  
"Don't get hurt, 'kay? If you do... Well, I'll come back and kick you in the ass, got it?" She smiled as well as she could and Quistis nodded. The instructor waved to the cowboy, then left the train car. A silence once again fell over the remaining three as the train started up again.  
  
Irvine looked over the two girls and grinned. "Well, now what?"  
  
One... Two... Three seconds of silence before there was a loud double-slap.

----------  
  
Squall had watched the train leave, and he knew he couldn't do anything about it. Running after it would resolve in nothing but tiring him out. He turned around to look into the darkness.  
  
A bat flew by and suddenly Squall was on the defense. The gunblade was raised and stormy eyes quickly glanced about.  
  
"**You're going to fight me?**" the words boomed inside of his head. "**Puny human... You fought me once and barely made it out with your life. Now you intend on attempting such a battle by yourself? You really are stupid.**" And the bats increased. There were more, and more, and even more after that. They molded into each other to form a ball of darkness equal to that surrounding Squall.  
  
The legs came out, bat wings flapped and the red and black face was soon glaring down at Squall from above. The demon dropped from above and sharpened fangs showed in what Squall could only guess was a smile.  
  
"Diablos... I don't plan to fight you. You were on our side, weren't you?" He let the gunblade stand at his side to prove he didn't want a fight.  
  
Diablos tilted his head back and let out a choppy screech.  
  
_He's laughing at me..._ Squall thought to himself as he readied the weapon again. "Alright. We beat you once, I can do it again."  
  
The 'laughing' stopped and Diablos glared at him with eyes of black fire. "**It is your funeral, human.**"

----------  
  
Zell took a step forward, then another. Although the sight around him was of a flaming inferno, he didn't feel the heat at all. "Jeez, a little redecorating and this could be my new home," he said sarcastically. Geysers of flames were at his sides as he continued forward.  
  
"**You don't belong here.**" The fire around him shot up in unison and Zell threw his arms up to protect himself from the falling rocks of dried lava. "**Pathetic excuse for a human, aren't you?**"  
  
Zell frowned and looked forward, only to see the brown and red form of the beast better known as Ifrit. "You! Why didn't you come to me when I called for you back then?" He shouted out in frustration. Ifrit lifted his head and grinned, showing his set of sharpened canines.  
  
"**Why would I appear for someone as weak as you?**" He questioned the smaller boy before leaping forward, elongated claws ready to rip the fighter to shreds.

----------  
  
The train came to a halt and Rinoa looked up at the opening doors. "I'm the only one left, so I guess it's for me, huh?" She tried to smile bravely, but failed miserably. Slowly, she stood to her feet and brushed away at her clothing. "Nothing else to do but go forward. Wish me luck," she spoke to the empty train car and exited Doomtrain.  
  
Everything surrounding her was dark. She could make out the silhouette of a tower in the distance and the grovel beneath her feet, but that was the only sense of reality that the unknown realm had.

----------  
  
Squall let out a cry as he leapt forward, blade slicing through Diablos as he pulled the trigger. The flames of the attack faded away and Diablos stood there defiantly. One black eye was shut with a cut down the center, and a bat wing had gone limp. Despite his conditions, Diablos wasn't finished with the lone gunblade wielder.  
  
The demon leapt forward, claws slashing away at what was left of Squall's shirt. Blood trickled from the numerous cuts and his entire left leg had gone numb only a few minutes ago. But Squall, equal to Diablos, wasn't about to give up just yet. He pulled a Cura out of his magic junction and felt energy return to him as the blue light faded away.  
  
"We're not done yet, Diablos. Your victory dance will only get you killed."  
  
Diablos glared with his one good eye and let out a snarl. "**Boy, you will eat your words before I'm through with you.**"

----------  
  
Ifrit stood over the shooting geysers of flames while Zell did all he could to avoid them. "**You don't have what it takes to control me! You shouldn't have even tried...**" Ifrit growled out, claws playing with stray flames.  
  
Zell was getting tired and didn't know how much longer he could take. "For a Guardian Force, you sure talk a lot," he grumbled before jumping at the beast again, fists and ego ready to give Ifrit a black eye to match the few bruises Zell had actually managed to give him.

----------  
  
Selphie stood quietly in the dark cave. She didn't dare to move. A puff of air sent shivers down her spine, and not because it was cold. The girl turned her head slowly to look at the dragon sleeping behind her, then to the others that came around her. Red, Blue, Tri-Face, etc. Even Tiamat was among them, sleeping in what made the circle around the scared form in yellow.  
  
There was a shuffling off to the side and she let out a quiet yelp. Shakily, she pulled the Strange Vision from her back and turned to face where the noise came from. A wing stretched, and then another, and soon the creature was off the ground and hovering above her.  
  
"**It's a child... Young girl, what do you think you're doing in my realm?**" Bahamut's voice came as a calm yet deep rumble in her mind. Selphie looked from one side to the other before looking back up to the Guardian Force.  
  
"Uh... I don't know? Could you lead me to Carbuncle's realm, maybe?" She asked as innocently as possible. There was a rumble around her and she fell back. _Earthquake?_ She thought to herself.  
  
Then she noticed it. The other dragons of the realm were laughing at her. She tried to smile, but it wasn't coming on. The rumbling continued until there was a familiar sound. A voice. An actual voice that she could hear with her ears.  
  
"Selphie! Are you in here?"  
  
It was Irvine. Selphie got onto her feet and cupped her hands around her mouth. "Irvine! Help!" She screamed as loudly as she could. The laughing from the dragons had stopped and Bahamut snarled.  
  
"**I see how it is. Teaming up against me? Well, you won't win...**"

* * *

**A/N: Yes, this is my way of avoiding the fight scenes. .; That's right. Use your imagination for Zell and Squall. Selphie and Irvine should be coming up next, and don't worry, so is Quistis. She gets to have a special part. :D And Rinoa will get... little parts. (As we can tell, I was getting a bit tired of writing them all together. It gets hard. ;;) So, wait a few days – tests are coming up, I hafta study – and you'll have the next chapter. I think I'm gonna end this at chapter 15. Yep-yep. I really have this planned out.  
  
Review, Review!!**


	8. Into Your Unknown Land II

**Long Live the King  
  
A/N: It's summer time! Finally!! I've been longing for this time of the year for such a long time. I took a break from this fic to write a quick one-shot for Yuffentine, called 'The Hands of Fear'. After this fic is over, I'll be starting on another Yuffentine that will be much longer. I have part of a middle chapter already written out. X.x; Anyhow. I'll try to finish this one up soon now!  
  
Chapter 8: Into Your Unknown Land II**  
  
After Doomtrain had left, Quistis hadn't stopped wandering. Her steps faltered and she stumbled forward, palms pressing into the blue rocks beneath her to save the rest of her figure. "This is silly. I'm in the middle of nowhere in a land of ice..." she muttered quietly to herself. "I hope the others are fairing better than I am."  
  
Slowly she stood back up, blue eyes gazing across the structures of ice that jutted upwards from the ground in an angry manner. "Hello?" This must have been the hundredth time she had called out in hopes that someone, hopefully someone she knew, would answer. She was met with nothing more than a cold breath of air from only God knows where.  
  
Quistis shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, fingers curling in on opposing shoulders. This would have to be one of the worst days in her life. But then again, for all she knew, time could have either stopped or sped up in the world she came from. It wouldn't be a day anymore. Either a minute or a year.  
  
"_What are you doing here?_" came an icy voice. It echoed all around her and the instructor quickly turned, expecting a dangerous form to be behind her. Nothing was there.  
  
"_Relax, instructor. My world and I will bring no harm to you..._" It sounded almost sad. Quistis turned again then looked up to see the blue Queen of Ice descending. "_I will ask again. What are you doing here in my land of Ice? You do not belong here,_" she continued, lips frozen in blue never moving, yet the gentle voice still reaching Quistis' ears.  
  
"My friends and I... We have come to remedy a problem we are having with your kind."  
  
The goddess gave an understanding nod as her bare feet touched the ice. She stood silently for a few seconds, as if in thought, then looked up at the instructor. "_You are talking about our King, are you not?_" Quistis nodded and held a hand out towards her, invitingly.  
  
"Please, explain to me what is happening. This strange behavior is bringing pain and suffering to our world, as well."  
  
Shiva nodded and, with a wave of the hand, the two were taken to a much darker realm. The sky was blanketed with oil and the ice that covered the ground began to crack. "_If you have the patience, you will understand._"

----------  
  
Irvine came running, that was until he was facing the scales of a red dragon. He stared silently, chest rising and falling in deep breaths. "Selphie?" He whispered quietly, hoping she'd hear him over the breaths and rumbling from deeper within. Obviously, his whisper faded into the shadows of the cave.  
  
Selphie began to whimper as she crouched down, Strange Vision held so tightly that her knuckles began to turn white. Bahamut did what was a supposed grin and flapped its leather wings, the gust kicking up dust that had Selphie coughing loudly.  
  
Tiamat and its friends began their rumbling laughter again and began to shuffle around, giving enough space for Irvine to come squeezing out of, and straight up and over Selphie. He landed on the ground with a loud "Oof!" and scrambled to get back to his feet.  
  
"Selphie? Are you alright?" He asked her frantically, pulling her to stand beside him. She merely whimpered and threw her arms around him, burying her head in his chest.  
  
"We can't win this one!" she half-screamed, half-cried, her voice muffled by his coat. Irvine didn't hear her. His gaze was locked on the malicious Bahamut whom was busy gathering the other dragons into the back of the cave.  
  
"**They won't be in our way,**" he snarled at the two before lashing out. Irvine had no time to think. Immediately, Selphie was thrown off to the side and Irvine went flying into the cave wall.  
  
"Irvine!" Selphie cried out in her fear and scrambled to her feet, Strange Vision left unloved on the ground. She ran to his side, but barely got within a yard of him before the leather wings slammed into her, sending her back to her lonely weapon.  
  
Bahamut hovered over her menacingly and beat its wings harder, the winds forcing a tunnel that was aimed to the ceiling of the dark cave. "**I am kind to you, child. I could draw your death out wonderfully, but I will make it quick for—**"  
  
A shot rang out and Bahamut plummeted to the ground, falling dangerously close to Selphie's smaller figure. She stared in horror as the Guardian Force struggled to back into the air. A large smoking hole was in its right wing, and this angered Bahamut greatly. The long neck twisted and the dark eyes glared at the cowboy behind him, cocking the shotgun once again and replacing the empty shells with Pulse Ammo.  
  
"I swear, if you hurt her... I won't hesitate to shoot you between the eyes," came the uncharacteristic threat from the man. Selphie took this as a cue and quickly lifted herself up along with the Strange Vision.  
  
"Bahamut... You shouldn't underestimate those that are only smaller than you." She smiled sweetly up at the beast as it glared at her out of the corner of its eye. A roar sounded throughout the cave and all that could be heard were continuous gun shots and a chain being swung relentlessly.

----------  
  
Quistis looked out over the dark land and tilted her head to the side slightly. "Shiva, what is this place?"  
  
The blue goddess glanced to the instructor, then back to the dying land. "_This is Odin's final resting place... Or what it was supposed to be. His untimely demise gave this place no use any longer, so it died with him._"  
  
The Guardian Force slowly turned and left, the inky blackness falling over the two once again. "_Quistis, as I said before, you do not belong here. Only one of you should be here,_" she explained slowly. Quistis gave her a look of confusion and Shiva found this to be a pleading of her to explain her own explanation.  
  
"_As you know, our King is gone. Destroyed by the one you call Seifer Almasy. This became both a joy and sadness to the Guardians. Odin had become our rules. The very ones we had to follow. Despite the fact that he was a rogue Guardian, he wished for us to follow what our junctioned masters wanted, and we did. Not because we wanted to, but because we were given that emotion. When Odin faded, so did that emotion. The ruling Guardian is the one that will give us the emotions that they feel we need.  
_  
_The joy of his death was within the Guardians darker in mind. Bahamut, the king of Dragons, wished to be king of all. As to why he will be of a problem to you. Quezecotl, once a companion for me, became angry and, as your kind says, full of himself._" Quistis listened in silence as the icy words flowed through her.  
  
"_Diablos wants a world of darkness. His joy in the death of our King is possibly the worst. Then there is the sadness. Siren and I were accepting of the rules and Carbuncle gave no cares to it. Eden and Doomtrain have no thoughts, so they do not comprehend the battle that is raging in this realm. As to why our trustworthy Doomtrain could transport you to our home.  
_  
_I shall not trail. The spot to the new Unknown King is open and it must be filled before our world is diminished and havoc spreads. If we do not survive, your world will have no chance. The Guardians are fighting for that spot in power,_" Shiva continued, stopping to sit herself elegantly on a stone of ice. Quistis hadn't even noticed that they returned to her realm.  
  
The instructor let it all sink in as the goddess spoke, only interrupting once with a question. "How is the new King chosen?"  
  
Shiva seemed to pause in thought. The silence droned on and Quistis thought that maybe the Ice Goddess had forgotten the question.  
  
"_There is only one who can choose the King. I do not know who this is, though. I am sorry._" She said slowly without actually saying anything.  
  
Soon, the ground began to rumble and the ice across it started to crack. Shiva quickly hovered above the cracks and glanced around. "_Your friends are in danger. You wish for them to live, yes?_" she questioned to the instructor.  
  
Quistis nodded quickly in the quakes. "Where are they?"  
  
Shiva began to move forward, the ice melting into darkness once again. Quistis was hesitant to follow. She could have sworn that she heard the deep throated snarls of the dragons she fought with back in her world, and if she remembered the battles correctly, she didn't want to be faced with them again.  
  
"_If you wish to see them alive, you must follow! Quickly!_"  
  
Without a second thought, Quistis followed the goddess into the ugly darkness and to what she would recall as a living nightmare when she became old enough to tell her grandchildren.

* * *

**A/N: Oooohh... Short chapter, yes. But I didn't want to add too much. I have the two sentenced summary of each chapter written out in a notebook, and this was as far as it got. :O Don't worry, things will get much better. And... Isn't it obvious that I'm avoiding the battle scenes? :3 I don't wanna make the fic horrible just because I need to write about... ::reads notebook:: four more battles... Damn. ::cries::  
  
Review, Review! :D You know you want to. **


	9. Into Your Unknown Land III

**Long Live the King  
  
A/N: Losing... Interest in... 'Long Live the King'!! No... I must finish this! For the fans if not my own sense of... Well, hell, I don't know. These chapters are slowly becoming shorter and shorter. ::reads other stories:: Other people get millions of reviews! ::jealousy:: Oh well. On with the show, right?  
  
Chapter 9: Into Your Unknown Land III  
**  
Selphie couldn't stand. Her right leg sported a long gash from her thigh to the shin and her left was spotted with bruises, matching both arms. Small cuts decorated her hands, blood falling in rivulets and dripping from the handles of the Strange Vision. Her face was remarkably saved from damage, but the fatigue was apparent in her features.  
  
Irvine had his own fair share of cuts and bruises along his body. Even his coat had been torn into far too many shreds to be wearable. "Selphie..? Are you alright?" he gently lifted her up, pulling her left arm over his shoulders and leaning her against his body. Bahamut hovered dangerously before them, its only damage being the hole in its wing and a cut that mirrored Selphie's down its hind leg.  
  
The girl sagged against him and let out a groan. "It's too tough. We can't win..." she was on the verge of tears. Bahamut stared the two down and let out a snarl.  
  
"**You brought this upon yourselves,**" as if it were their fault for ending up where they did. Another roar and Tiamat, along with the colored dragons, jumped for them. "**You may play with them.**"  
  
Irvine dropped the Exeter and wrapped both his arms around Selphie in an attempt to protect her from the oncoming thrashing.  
  
"_You will stop!_"  
  
Everything went quiet and Irvine chanced a look around. Selphie let out a gasp and tightened her grip on Irvine. "What happened to them?"  
  
The dragons all stood quietly, each frozen over in ice. Shiva stood before the two cowering behind her. "_Bahamut! As humans, you know that they're weaker than you! This is an unfair battle,_" she spoke softly.  
  
Bahamut glared down at her, talons twitching at its encased frustration. "**Why do you interfere?**" The dragon king charged towards her, only to be stopped as she raised a small hand. Her fingers came together and, with a quiet snap, Tiamat shattered into bits and pieces on the floor. This action seemed to both enrage and calm the dragon king greatly. "**You are protecting them. Why do you care for the humans?**"  
  
Shiva shook her head and waved a hand. The remaining dragons were released from their ice prisons and immediately they whimpered and cowered in the darkness of the caves. It was at this moment that Quistis was allowed entrance.  
  
"Quistis!" Selphie cried out and left Irvine's protective embrace to half- limp, half-run to the instructor. She leapt as well as she could into the blonde and hugged her tightly. "It was scary! First, I didn't know where I was, then Bahamut showed up, and then Irvine showed up to save me, and then we had to fight, and then Bahamut attacked, and then Irvine got hurt, and then it attacked me, and I thought we were going to die!" she cried out in a rush between sobs and hiccups.  
  
Irvine cautiously made his way over to Quistis and Selphie, watching as Quistis sympathetically patted the younger girl on the back. "How did you get here?" he asked her thoughtfully, his own hands resting lightly on the shoulders of the sobbing girl.  
  
Quistis shrugged and looked around the cave before settling her gaze on the cowboy. "Truthfully, I don't know. First, Shiva found me once I was off the train, and then all I knew was my friends were in danger and we showed up here." And it was the truth.  
  
The cowboy nodded as Selphie untangled herself from Quistis and leaned herself against Irvine for support. "Why isn't Shiva trying to kill us?" she asked softly while trying to dry her eyes. The three looked to the Guardian Force in question, then to Bahamut. The heated argument could no longer be heard to the three humans, but the angered expressions proved that a battle of words was still continuing.  
  
"_They do not mean us any harm! You will not come near these children ever again, Bahamut!_" Shiva finished and waved a hand in the air. The three were encased in a bubble of ice and, with a simple snap, were gone.  
  
The goddess gave the dragon king one more glare before fading away into the darkness, leaving the enraged Guardian Force to take its anger out on its own misfits that shared the cave with it.

----------  
  
Selphie opened one eye, then the other. "Where are we?" she questioned aloud. Slowly, she sat up from her place on the jagged ground, emeralds glancing over her two comrades. Quistis sat quietly some ways behind her, arms wrapped lightly around her knees and Irvine lay quietly in front of her, arms folded behind his head.  
  
"Maybe another Guardian Force's lair. Shiva isn't coming back to us, and seeing as this isn't any sort of cave, Bahamut won't be anywhere near us either," Quistis replied softly. She stood up slowly and dusted herself off before making her way to Selphie. "You two look pretty beat up. I think we should stay here till the two of you start feeling better."  
  
Selphie nodded and shifted herself to lie back down, wincing at the pain that shot through her leg from the cut. Suddenly, there was a tingling warmth and she let out a sigh. "Thanks, Quistis..." she murmured, eyelids becoming heavy.  
  
The instructor nodded before counting through her remaining Cure spells. She let out a deep breath then sat once again beside Selphie, watching as the girl fell into a quiet slumber.  
  
"You can sleep too, if you want," she spoke to Irvine. He opened one eye, then the other, and smiled to her.  
  
"I could, but I don't think I can trust you to do whatever you want while I'm sleeping defenselessly." He gave her a playful wink and she smiled at his friendly humor, even at a time like this.  
  
"Just sleep. You two have gone through a lot, you deserve it."  
  
He tipped his hat, which miraculously survived the battle unscathed, and closed his eyes. Selphie whimpered in her sleep and rolled over and into Irvine, head resting lightly against his chest. He pulled one arm around her and held her close, as if to protect her even in her dreams.  
  
Quistis felt something in her chest ache and settled with staring up at the black sky. _Those two will make an adorable, albeit hilarious couple one day._

_----------  
_  
Flames were being spit at Zell from his left and right, and dodging them was taking more energy from him than he had hoped. Ifrit laughed loudly at the boy and dug his claws into the reddening rock below him.  
  
"**You have no chance to survive this! Why do you continue to try and fight me?**" He bellowed into Zell's mind. Zell shook his head and raised his fists after dodging another flamethrower.  
  
"Because! I know I can win! I have something to fight for back home, so I won't let you beat me!" Zell shouted back in anger, images of the shy yet loud library girl flashing by his minds eye.  
  
Ifrit let out another laugh and lifted the magma rock out of its place, holding it high above his head. "**You are amusing,**" he growled before tossing the now flaming rock towards the young SeeD.  
  
Zell was tiring quickly, and the sight of the flaming rock sent his stomach down to his feet. _I can't lose!_ He yelled to himself mentally and shot forward, fist breaking into the hard flames. The rock shattered at impact and fell in fire-pebbles at Zell's sides.  
  
The fire beast was in shock. "**You still fight me? You are running out of stamina, and you still attempt to win? That is admirable...**" he commented gruffly. Zell glared up at the beast and Ifrit could have sworn that the boys' eyes had taken the form of blue flames.  
  
He let out a heavy chuckle and waved a claw in the heated air. "**You really do amuse me, boy. Come back to me when you have more spirit,**" he rumbled into Zell's mind. At first, the comment confused him, but it became clear when suddenly the flames dwindled into nothing and Ifrit was gone. A soft breeze ruffled his spikes and he noticed that everything around him seemed to be moving quickly past him.

----------  
  
Diablos let out a furious screech and rammed his body into Squall's, sending the young man back into the flat ground. "**I've had enough of you!**" he snarled, raising a hand to the blackened sky.  
  
A sticky orb of darkness began to form around his talons as Squall struggled to stand. Faded blue eyes stared in approaching horror as the darkness grew in size. Diablos grinned maliciously at him and, with what seemed to be some trouble, threw the darkness into him.  
  
At first, Squall had no idea what to make of it. He didn't feel anything, and all he saw was darkness. Suddenly, everything inside him felt as if it were being torn apart. He let out a cry of pain and surprise as that tearing turned into a suffocation. The darkness faded away, leaving Squall collapsed on the ground.  
  
Diablos felt a joy in the pain of the young man and began to ascend into the oiled clouds above. "**Until you have more strength, boy... At this moment, I must deal with more important matters. Our King is being decided upon as we speak.**" And he was gone.  
  
Squall let out a groan of pain and tried to stand to his feet. A pair of gloved hands closed on his ribs and he let out a hiss between his teeth. Arms pulled him up to his feet and he glared at his comrade.  
  
"Dude, Squall. What happened to you?" Zell asked in concern, releasing his commander at the sudden glare he received.  
  
Squall ignored the question and began limping off. "Diablos said something about the King. We have to find everyone else," he grumbled more to himself. Zell shrugged and trotted after him, grabbing his arm and helping the gunblade wielder along through the darkness.

----------  
  
Rinoa sat quietly in her solitude, brown almonds glancing around every once in a while as a breeze played through her hair. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself and let out a sigh. "You know what would be nice? If I knew where I was. That'd be nice."  
  
She had been talking to herself for the last ten minutes.  
  
It had only been a few more minutes before she heard a soft sound in the distance. She very well couldn't see anything, so she closed her eyes to rely more upon her sense of hearing. Slowly, she stood to her feet and cupped a hand around her ear in hopes of hearing the voices of her friends.  
  
One step, two, three, four steps in one. She opened her eyes and frowned slightly in confusion. More than one person was coming her way. There were three sets of steps being taken and she couldn't quite figure it out.  
  
"Hello?" She ventured timidly, taking a step to where she figured the people were coming from. Another step, then a silhouetted form came from the thickening mist. She gasped and a hand flew up to cover her mouth. "Oh my god! It's you!"

* * *

**A/N: Bwahahahahaha!!!! 3 I'm horrible, aren't I? Have you guys figured any of it out yet? Have you, have you? And I figured out what ending I'm gonna put in. This is gonna be great! I don't think people will be too happy with it, though. Alright, I'll write the next chapter tomorrow... or maybe tonight! O.O Cool, huh?  
  
Review, Review!! :D**


	10. Savior on Six Legs

**Long Live the King  
  
A/N: Alright. So I'm starting the tenth chapter today in hopes of getting this thing finished quickly. The more ideas I get for my next fic, the more I want to get this one over and done with. This chapter is more dialogue than anything else. Might as well get it finished soon. Let's go!  
  
Chapter 10: Savior on Six Legs**  
  
"Oh my god! It's you!" Rinoa took a step back in shock, watching as the creature came closer. The mane swayed in the breeze and nostrils flared as it snorted out clouds of darkness. Blackened eyes settled onto her and they seemed to soften.  
  
**_Please, do not fear child..._**  
  
The voice was clear in her mind, calming her muscles and heart. "You... How did you survive?" She asked quietly, hand reaching out as if she could reach it. The large horse came closer, ears twitching towards her to listen to her question.  
  
**_It was not I that he was aiming at._**  
  
Rinoa gave an understanding nod and stepped closer to the six-legged horse, hand resting lightly on its neck. "It must be hard losing the one you called your King." The horse of Odin gave her a confused look then shook its head.  
  
**_We were not attached. I simply did his bidding._**  
  
The sorceress nodded again and took a step back. "I'm Rinoa," she introduced herself as properly taught, then continued. "I don't know why, but my friends and I were separated upon arrival and I was wondering..." she trailed off thoughtfully.  
  
**_I have a request, young sorceress._**  
  
It was as if the creature had ignored her words completely.  
  
**_Please... I must see your strong-willed soul._**  
  
Rinoa tilted her head in thought, wondering what the words in her head meant. "Strong-willed soul? Squall?" He was the only one she knew who was much stronger than the rest of them. The very one that had saved the world, only with the help of their friends. The horse didn't respond. "I would, if I knew where he was. Could you help me?"  
  
There was a silence and she wondered if it had heard her.  
  
_**I will help you find your friends.**_  
  
Rinoa smiled happily and turned to her right. Then to her left. Then back to the horse. "Erm, I'm not sure which way to go. Do you happen to know which way we could start looking?"  
  
The horse turned to the left and began walking slowly. Rinoa clapped her hands together in joy and jogged up to walk along its side. "Is there a certain name you want me to call you?" she asked innocently, trying for some nice conversation.  
  
**_Sleipner._**  
  
It was a simple response. _I guess it wasn't much of a talker..._ she thought to herself. Sleipner turned its head to look at her and seemed to give what she supposed was a frown.  
  
**_Climb onto my back. We could make better time that way._**  
  
Rinoa did as commanded and, taking a fistful of its mane, swung herself up and onto Sleipner's back. It stumbled slightly and she immediately let go of the mane. "I'm sorry, does that hurt?"  
  
**_There are no nerves that lead to it. I cannot feel anything. I just haven't carried anyone since Odin's demise and it is... a strange feeling. You are much lighter than my former King.  
_**  
Rinoa smiled, glad it wasn't her fault, and took another hold of its mane. "Thank you, Sleipner."

----------  
  
Quistis let out a sigh as she stared out into the continuous darkness. Selphie and Irvine were still fast asleep, so it appeared, and Quistis found she didn't trust this realm enough to go to sleep herself. Selphie squeaked in her sleep, but Quistis paid no attention. She had been making small noises the entire time she'd been asleep.  
  
Irvine was relatively quiet and still, his arms remaining wrapped around the smaller girl in yellow. Quistis let her gaze travel around the repetitive scenery and let out another heavy sigh. Suddenly, her ears picked up the sound of footsteps and the chatter of a good friend.  
  
She quickly scrambled to her feet and ran in the direction of the noise, only to run into Zell and Squall. Squall stumbled back and grimaced in the pain that shot through his body while Zell quickly helped him to regain his balance.  
  
"Quistis! How'd you find us?" the young SeeD asked in dismay once Squall made it known that he could walk on his own. Quistis couldn't stop the joy from appearing in her eyes and facial features.  
  
"That doesn't matter. We're all together again! Where's Rinoa?" she asked quickly, glancing around as the three made their way back to the slumbering couple.  
  
Squall's head lifted fractionally at the question of his sorceress. "Rinoa? She isn't with us..."  
  
Zell let out a frustrated sigh as he plopped himself down to the awakening Selphie and Irvine. Selphie's eyes sparkled in happiness at the arrival of her two friends, but didn't have the strength to let it be known to the others.  
  
"What happened to you two?" Zell asked as Quistis and Squall muttered in concern over their missing friend.  
  
Irvine reluctantly released Selphie from his grasp and she sat up, flailing her bruised arms around as she retold the story of their desperate battle with Bahamut, the arrival of Shiva and Quistis, and then their grand escape in a bubble of ice. All of this seemed to capture Zell's attention greatly.  
  
Selphie's story was finished, with little bits being inserted by Irvine, and Zell began his story of the epic battle with Ifrit and then finding Squall.  
  
"Well, she can't be far. We've all found each other, so it shouldn't be too hard to find Rinoa, right? Don't worry too much, Squall..." Quistis said comfortingly. "For now, I think you need to rest up. You don't look too good. Selphie and Irvine are resting as well. I have a few Cures' left, so I'll help as much as I can."  
  
Squall nodded quietly and limped to the growing group, gently sitting himself down.  
  
There was a long silence as the stories ended and the group had relaxed enough. All Cure spells were diminished and the group only had to rest their spirits.  
  
The silence was cracked as the last one they expected spoke up.  
  
"Diablos said that the new King was being decided on." Squall looked up from his glare at the ground to look over his comrades. Quistis looked over Selphie huddled with Irvine and Zell whom was drawing invisible figures into the dirt.  
  
Quistis continued after Squall. "Shiva gave me some information about the Unknown King, Odin. Supposedly, he was a certain rule that the other Guardian Force's had to follow. Not a ruler, an actual rule. Strange, yes, I know.  
  
"The other Guardian Force's lost their feeling of having to appear for the junctioned master and began doing things on their own." Selphie looked over to Quistis and raised a weak arm.  
  
"Why did Doomtrain show up for me, then?" she asked softly.  
  
Quistis smiled as she remembered the words Shiva had sent into her mind. "The Guardian Force's such as Doomtrain and Eden have no real minds of their own, so they come to us without feeling whether they must or that they should rebel. The Guardian Force's like Quezecotl, Ifrit, and Bahamut have a mind of their own, and when the rules disappeared, they fought back. Shiva did not fight me because she, like Siren and Carbuncle, don't carry a certain hatred for the human race... or any other race for that matter."  
  
Squall frowned in the middle of her explanation and interrupted momentarily, "Why were we separated?"  
  
The instructor thought back to everything Shiva had said, trying to find the answer. "We weren't all supposed to be here. She said only one of us were meant to arrive. I don't understand what that means completely, though. You said that Diablos told you they were deciding on a new King. Did he mention who it would be?"  
  
Squall shook his head and ran gloved fingers through his hair. "No. I'm guessing that they found a Guardian Force stronger than themselves to take the throne. Gilgamesh maybe? He is the one that took Odin's place for a while, isn't he?"  
  
Irvine thought about it then finally spoke up. "Alexander could be a possibility, you know. Even Tonberry King, since he has King in his name."  
  
The group of five rolled the thoughts in their minds, but none could come with a definite answer.  
  
"Either way," Zell spoke up from his invisible drawings. "We have to find Rinoa and get out of here before any of the other Guardian Force's decide we'd make good rag dolls."

----------  
  
Rinoa lay down on her stomach, arms hanging limply at Sleipner's shoulder blades. "Sleipner," she ventured for a conversation to keep her awake. His ears perked towards her to listen. "Don't you ever get lonely out here?"  
  
The head shook back and forth in a 'no'.  
  
_**Back then, Odin had done enough talking for the both of us. It seems as if you may be the same.**_  
  
Rinoa sat up and stuck her lower lip out in a pout. "Hey, that's not nice."  
  
**_I am sorry._**  
  
She giggled slightly and patted the top of his head as well as she could without falling off. "How much longer till we find Squall and the others?" Oh Hyne, she missed him dearly.  
  
**_Your soul does not ache for them nearly enough to find them anytime soon._**  
  
The comment confused her, but she let it go. "Oh, alright." She lay down once again, fingers absentmindedly running through the rough mane on Sleipner's neck. "I miss Squall, though. I wonder what he's doing right now..." and with that, she trailed off into a quiet sleep, trusting the horse beneath her with most of her life.

* * *

**A/N: Woo! o.o I finally got to Sleipner. I did not make that name up, by the way. If you look up Odin, you will find that Sleipner is the actual name of the horse. (I also found this information out somewhere in the game, though I don't remember how or when.) Although the horse is supposed to have eight legs instead of six, Square seemed to change this and gave it two less. I liked this chapter more than I thought I would. Soon, they will all be reunited again! :D Yay!  
  
Review, Review!!**


	11. Jealousy Will Drive You Mad

**Long Live the King  
  
A/N: Chapter 11! Yes! After this one, there will only be four more chapters to write/read. :O Can you believe it? We're getting to the end of this! It makes me happy. :3 I'm already planning out my next fanfiction. Unfortunately, I'm taking a break from FFVIII for a while. Anyhow. This chapter is going to center on Rinoa and Sleipner. :O Read!  
  
Chapter 11: Jealousy Will Drive You Mad  
**  
The gentle swaying of Sleipner's steps came to a halt, thus awakening the sorceress lying across his back. Rinoa sat up carefully and rubbed at her eyes. "Did you find Squall and the others?"  
  
Sleipner strained its neck to turn and look at her.  
  
**_No, not yet, but we have come across an obstacle._**  
  
Rinoa frowned slightly and let her gaze travel around the desolate area. "Where? I don't see anything..." she murmured, quite sure Sleipner could still hear her. He bowed down just enough to allow her to slide off and onto her feet, then he stood up straight and took a protective step closer to her side.  
  
**_He has not arrived yet, but he is coming._**  
  
"Squall?" She couldn't hide the excitement from her tone, hands clasping together in front of herself. The large horse shook his head, ears pointing in every direction so there were no surprise attacks.  
  
**_Not your friends. It is something dangerous. It would be wise of you to remain close._**  
  
Rinoa nodded, a shiver running down her spine at the sudden chill that the air around had taken. "Who is it?" she asked hesitantly, right hand pressing lightly to Sleipner's left shoulder. If it was at all possible, the dark sky above became even darker.  
  
**_Diablos. What do you think you're doing here?_**  
  
The angelic sorceress felt her heart skip a beat at the cuts that decorated the demon's body as he lowered himself from the black clouds, arms crossed stubbornly over his chest. She recognized them immediately. _Squall...!_

"**What are you doing with this human? She is weak. Not worthy of our presence.**"  
  
Rinoa could have sworn she heard Sleipner growl. But a horse could not growl, so she dismissed it. "Sleipner? What does he want?"  
  
**_You are only angered that you weren't even considered to take the power.  
_**  
Did Rinoa detect a hint of smugness coming from the horse? Already, she could feel the tension between the two Guardian Force's.  
  
Diablos snarled at the two and let his claws hand by his sides. "**You are a fool, Sleipner. Your choices were always weak ones. Proof lies in the death of Odin...**"  
  
This comment seemed to set something off inside of Sleipner. Rinoa could feel the muscles beneath his shoulder tense and she immediately took a step away from the two, fearing for her own life. Sleipner cast a glance in her direction before glaring back to Diablos.  
  
"**Look how she trembles. You're better off sending them all back to their own realm,**" Diablos sneered, talon feet scraping at the ground beneath them. Sleipner stamped a hoof in response and lowered his head, misted eyes of black staring into the soul of Diablos.  
  
**_You are in no place to speak of them in such a way. Your squabble with the humans is your own problem, but do not take it out on an innocent._**  
  
Diablos began to laugh, but it was a horrible sound that reverberated throughout Rinoa's mind. "**Innocent? They have killed thousands without thinking twice. What makes them innocent?**" Sleipner snorted and took a threatening step forward.  
  
_**Your jealousy overpowers you, Diablos. You couldn't defeat me, and Odin had you on a leash. My choice in the new King will have the power to defeat you as well; much like Alexander had you not too long ago.  
**_  
The demon flapped his leathery wings angrily and his muscles became tense. "**Just because Alexander could trap me in that lamp does not make him more powerful!**" And that is where the battle of words ended. Dust flew from beneath Diablos' now vacant spot as he charged towards the six-legged horse.  
  
Rinoa let out a startled cry as the claws dug into Sleipner's shoulders. The horse let out what could be perceived as the screams of a thousand lost souls, but he did not fall.

----------  
  
Selphie's head perked up from her leaning position on Irvine and she frowned slightly. "Did you guys hear that?"  
  
Quistis blinked in confusion and glanced around their area. "I heard nothing... Are you alright, Selphie?"  
  
The younger girl let out a sigh and shook her head slowly. "I don't know. I guess this place is just getting to me. I could have sworn I heard someone screaming though..."  
  
Squall suddenly stood up, startling both ladies greatly. Quistis held her hand over her heart as she tried to calm down. "What's wrong with you, Squall?"  
  
He glared down at the two of them. "I heard it, too... It might be Rinoa. She could be in trouble."  
  
Zell poked Irvine's side thoughtlessly, awakening the cowboy from his muttering state of sleep. "Get up. Looks like we're headin' off to look for Rinoa."  
  
Irvine grumbled something incoherent as a response and staggered to his feet. Quistis and Selphie stood, dusting themselves off before following after Squall, whom had not taken the time to wait for them.

----------  
  
"Sleipner!" Rinoa cried out again as the claws retracted from his body. The six-legged horse stumbled back then snorted, shaking his head as if to rid himself of a headache.  
  
**_Stay calm._**  
  
Rinoa wanted to help, she wanted to fight Diablos and protect Sleipner, but something was holding her in her place, keeping her feet planted firmly in their spot. She could only scream out for the horse as Diablos ripped at the horse's neck. _He's going to die! I can't let him die like that!_ She was beginning to panic.  
  
"**Without your Odin, how will you manage?**" Diablos grinned as he continued swiping at the horse, the joy inside of him growing each time he felt the impact of claws on flesh.  
  
**_You are still young._**  
  
It was all Diablos heard before the large horse reared back, four sets of hooves slamming into the demon's chest and sending him back into the ground, forming a ditch from the sudden impact.  
  
Diablos struggled to get back into the air, but he was too late. The ground began to shake and his eyes widened at the sight of the six-legged horse rushing at him, cracks forming in the ground at the power of the hooves breaking through.  
  
The screams of millions of bats deafened Rinoa and she crouched down, arms flying up over her head to protect herself from the barrage of bats. A sudden wind blew against her and she felt something slide beneath her. It didn't take long for her to realize that Sleipner had put her on his back and left Diablos to recover.  
  
The demon glared as the bats swarmed back to him, helping him back up into the air. One clawed hand was placed at his chest to care for the broken bones inside from the impact of four hooves. "**Maybe another time, Sleipner. It would be wise of you to reconsider your decision, though.**" And with that, he faded into the darkness.

----------  
  
"Squall, we've been walking for... Well, it feels like forever!" Zell complained when he tripped over a rock for the fifth time. "And we still haven't found Rinoa."  
  
The man leading them frowned and brought a hand to his left rib. Selphie trotted up to him and gently put a hand to his shoulder, bringing him to a halt. She smiled as innocently as she could. "Just a little more time to rest? Please? Irvine and I haven't fully healed yet and Zell's pretty wiped out from his fight with Ifrit. And I'm sure you're tired too, after your battle with Diablos and all..."  
  
Squall looked to the remainder of his comrades behind her. The only one that seemed to be in perfect condition was Quistis. And he had to admit, the walking was sending wave after wave of pain and agonizing protests from his limbs.  
  
But if that was Rinoa's scream, he couldn't just sit by and wait. "Quistis, you stay with them while they heal. I'm going to find Rinoa and bring her back."  
  
He could already see Quistis' mouth open in protest. His glare was enough to silence her, but the words had to be said. "It's an order, Quistis. An order from your Commander. Stay here. If I'm not back in an hour, don't wait and find a way out of here."  
  
Slowly Quistis nodded. The others knew an order was an order and didn't even try to fight it.  
  
"Squall really is hard-headed, isn't he?" Irvine questioned in good humor as they watched him limp off.

Selphie shook her head and let out a sigh. "No, he's just in love."

----------  
  
The two stared silently at the vacant area for a while before Rinoa remembered the damage Sleipner had taken from Diablos. "Sleipner, your hurt!" she cried out as she immediately jumped off his back.  
  
**_It is nothing that won't heal on its own._**  
  
Rinoa shook her head and checked through her magic supply. Although it had been sneaky, she was glad she had swapped her Fires with Irvine's Cures. Her hands gently hovered over the cuts on the left shoulder at first as she muttered the Cure spell.  
  
She finished on the other side, and when the glittering light faded, all that was left were mirroring scars. Sleipner nuzzled at her side gently and she patted the top of his head. "There you go."  
  
**_I thank you, young sorceress. Your power is strong. But the King's power is stronger._**  
  
Rinoa smiled to him and nodded. "Yes, that would make sense. By the way, what did Diablos mean when he told you to reconsider your decision?"  
  
Sleipner seemed to take a few seconds to think this one through.  
  
**_He is upset that I did not decide that he would make the best King. I have already chosen another, and it angers him even more that it is not one of our own kind.  
_**  
"You mean you chose someone that isn't a Guardian Force to be your new King?" Rinoa was surprised at this, and the emotion was apparent in her features. "How is that possible though? Doesn't your King have to be of your own kind?"  
  
Sleipner shook his head in response and lowered himself, allowing her to climb onto his back.  
  
**_No. The new King has to be strong-willed and must have a high spirit._**  
  
Rinoa allowed this to sink in as she took a firm grip of his mane while he began walking forward, still in the search for her friends. Finally, she came up with a response that would bring the rest of the trip to silence.  
  
"Well, no wonder it'd be Squall."

* * *

**A/N: :O!!! Oooh!! Yes, it is true. You don't have to be a Guardian Force to become King of them. 3 At least, that's what I say, and since I'm the author of this fanfic, I'm the one that writes the rules. Alright, four more chapters. Things are finally gonna start getting good after this. :D And then, my wonderful ending! YES!  
  
Review, Review! We love 'em!**


	12. Reunited At Long Last

**Long Live the King  
  
A/N: The closer I get to the end of this, the more excited I get. I've become so in love with the ending I've chosen that I just want to write it out right now. 3 But I hafta get through these remaining four/three chapters. I'm gonna hurry 'em up, now. There should be at least two updates a day, what with the way I'm really excited about this. :D Yay! Read it!  
  
Chapter 12: Reunited At Long Last  
**  
Squall had been wandering for a full round of ten minutes. His legs were weakening beneath him and he didn't know just how much longer he could go. He didn't know if the friends he had left behind were okay, he was worried about Rinoa's safety, and he knew it wouldn't be the best thing he'd ever done if he collapsed right there in the middle of nowhere.  
  
He continued on, one hand on his left rib and the other on his thigh where the flesh was torn. Although the blood had long since clotted, it still hurt more than anything he had ever felt in his earlier adventure against Ultimecia.  
  
_Rinoa, where are you..?_ He thought to himself desperately. He swore he would die a happy man if he could just see her, safe and sound, at that moment.  
  
There was a gentle breeze in response to his silent wish and he slowly dropped to his knees. "I can't go on..." he murmured to himself, disappointed in his own weakness. Then he heard it. An angel's voice. His angel's voice.  
  
"What's that up ahead?" She questioned hesitantly, fearing for the worst. The creature she rode upon, blurred in Squall's vision, appeared to be a horse of some sort. The moment she recognized him, she leapt off of the creature and started towards him.  
  
She came to a halt, turning back to glance back to the horse in confusion. Squall felt himself growing weaker and leaned to his side, eyes closing in fatigue. He could barely make out her cry and the feeling of her arms wrapping around him.  
  
This was the second time he had to hear his angel cry and was not able to dry her tears.

----------  
  
Quistis poked at a loose rock with her index finger in boredom. The others had given up on looking for potions, cures, or anything that could heal their wounds and give them enough energy to follow after their Commander.  
  
"How long has he been gone?" Selphie asked tiredly, her back leaning against Irvine's.  
  
The cowboy tilted his head back, resting it on the top of Selphie's. She squeaked in annoyance, but made no attempt to move him. "Fifteen, twenty minutes? I haven't been keeping time," he replied.  
  
She let out a heavy sigh and leaned forward onto her knees. This movement received a noise of surprise from the man against her back as he fell against her. Zell watched them, unamused, and started going through his magic spells he had junctioned once again.  
  
Quistis frowned at them and slowly pushed herself up to her feet. "Well, let's say he's been gone for ten minutes. Well wait another forty, and if he doesn't show up..." she let it hang in the air, the group of four thinking back on the Commander's order.  
  
It didn't need to be said. They knew.

----------  
  
Sleipner turned to glance at the young woman and man on his back. It had been strange with one person on his back, and now two made him slow down.  
  
_**Is this the Squall you have yearned for?**_  
  
Rinoa nodded slowly. "Yes, this is him. Hyne, what happened?" She sounded pained at the cut and bruises that spotted his body and destroyed his clothes.  
  
**_I believe that it is Diablos. Your Squall must be the reason Diablos was not fighting at his best._**  
  
The sorceress had nothing to say to the words that floated throughout her mind, so she only nodded again. Her fingers reached out of their own accord and gently pushed a strand of those brown locks away from Squall's face. "Please, wake up," she murmured quietly.  
  
**_I do believe we have found your comrades, young sorceress._**  
  
Rinoa looked up in surprise only to spot the group huddled together in the middle of the everlasting darkness. "Quistis!" she called out happily, waving a hand from the back of Sleipner. "Selphie! Irvine! Please, hurry to them, Sleipner," she added before calling for them again. "Zell! Over here!" as if they wouldn't see the large horse and the blue woman riding it.  
  
Zell looked up from his search and jumped to his feet in one quick motion. "Rinoa! Guys! It's Rinoa!"  
  
Quistis and Selphie leapt to their feet while Irvine fell back from the loss of support. He quickly fixed himself as he pushed to his feet, remaining as suave as possible while tilting his hat as their angelic sorceress leapt off the large horse and ran to them.  
  
She and Selphie met in a hug and began to hop around in circles. "I'm so glad you're safe!" Selphie cried out happily, giving the girl another big hug before noticing the six-legged creature that was coming up beside her.  
  
"Guys, this is Sleipner. Sleipner, these are my friends." And she introduced each one of them respectively. Irvine and Zell came up to the side of Sleipner and pulled Squall down, gently placing him on the ground. Quistis began fishing out for any item she could use to heal him with.  
  
**_Your friends worry too much._**  
  
Rinoa looked up at the horse and smiled. "It's because they care. We all care about each other."  
  
This caused a silence. Irvine glanced up to her, to the horse, and then back to her. "Who are you talking to?"  
  
The sorceress blinked in confusion then let her gaze settle on Sleipner. "They can't hear you?"  
  
**_Only if you wish for them to._**  
  
She nodded quickly and he gave her what appeared to be a nod.

----------  
  
After what was supposedly a good half hour, Selphie had finished fawning over Sleipner as if he were a newborn puppy and Squall was now wide awake and glaring quite evilly at the horse of Odin.  
  
"Did he hurt you, Rinoa?"  
  
She shook her head and gave her ninth sigh. "Sleipner hasn't done anything to me. In fact, he protected me from Diablos." Squall let out a growl at the thought of the demon, but he let it slide.  
  
Rinoa smiled and gave him a tight hug, arms wrapping around his torso, though gently, and burying her face in his shoulder. "Oh Hyne, I was so worried about you..." she half-whispered to him. He felt his heart skip a beat and he used his better arm to slide around her, holding her close.  
  
"I was afraid," he murmured quietly into her hair. "Afraid I would never see you again..."  
  
There was a pause before she pulled back slowly, smiling as if her heart were breaking. "Don't be afraid."  
  
Then, the look seemed to fade as quickly as it had come, and she smiled happily. "Oh! You and Sleipner need to talk! About the King issues, you know." Squall thought briefly of her words and that so very sad look she had earlier, but dismissed it as nothing and nodded.  
  
**_Indeed. Squall if you would accompany me to speak in private._**  
  
The gunblade wielder wasn't too happy that Sleipner could listen to every word they said, but agreed and, with some help from Rinoa, stood and followed Sleipner a little ways from the group.  
  
Once they were at a good distance, Sleipner stopped and turned to face Squall.  
  
**_As you already know, the Guardian Force's were in need of a King. I am the one that was to choose this King._**  
  
"Yes, I understand this already," Squall replied, rubbing lightly at his left temple. "Rinoa seems to believe that you've chosen me. But I have a question. Your King should be one of your own kind, shouldn't he?"  
  
There was a silence, a sad silence on Sleipner's part.  
  
**_No. The King doesn't have to be a Guardian Force. The King..._**  
  
Squall watched quietly, awaiting the news.

----------  
  
Rinoa watched the two in the distance and let out a nervous sigh. "Aw, Sleipner... You blocked your words from me," she half-whined and smiled softly. "It's alright. I'm sure Squall would make a good King."  
  
Quistis looked to her and gave her a light pat on the shoulder. "You need your rest. Tomorrow... what I'm guessing is going to be morning, we'll search for a way to get out of here."  
  
The angelic sorceress nodded and found a place to lie down, curling up into a ball and pillowing her hands beneath her head. She smiled once more to her friends before closing her eyes.  
  
Zell glanced to Quistis then to Squall and Sleipner. "I can't wait to get back home," he ventured for conversation. Quistis smiled and lay down as well, hands folding behind her head as her legs crossed at the ankles.  
  
"When we get back, I'm going to take a long, hot shower. What about you? Are you going to go see your girlfriend back in the library?" she poked fun at him and giggled at the red that grew on his cheeks. Selphie seemed to think this was funny and she ruffled his blonde spikes.  
  
"It's so cute! Don't get embarrassed," she laughed just as Irvine came up behind her, snatching her into his arms and resting his chin on her shoulder.  
  
"You're one to talk."  
  
Just then, Squall came back with Sleipner, a grave expression dominating his features. The horse refused to look at any of them and made his way to Rinoa, lying down and curling his much larger body around her smaller figure.  
  
The four friends that were left behind from the conversation stared in wonder, watching the horse carefully. Squall frowned and lowered himself to the ground, resting his arms on his knees.  
  
"What happened, Squall?" Zell asked, raising a hand and waving it back and forth in hopes of grasping his friends' attention.  
  
"We talked about the King." What an answer.  
  
Zell frowned and crossed his arms. "Yeah, I could have guessed that. What'd he say?"  
  
Squall went silent for what felt like forever. Selphie was about to echo Zell's question, but Squall finally found the right words for the response.  
  
"He's chosen Rinoa." He paused again, possibly in thought, then continued with the dreadful news. "He wants her to be the new Unknown King."  
  
Quistis gasped, hand flying up to cover her mouth. Irvine raised an eyebrow and Selphie's eyes widened in shock.  
  
"What?" Zell shouted in disbelief, hands balling into fists at his side. Apparently, the four that were left to talk amongst themselves did not know that one whom was not a Guardian Force could also be named King.  
  
Sleipner raised his head and glared over towards them, as if telling them in his own silent way to quiet themselves down unless they wanted to wake the sleeping sorceress.  
  
It felt like ages before someone finally spoke up again. This savior was Selphie.  
  
She wiped the dumbfounded look from her face and questioned aloud what only she could think of,  
  
"Isn't Rinoa a girl?"

* * *

**A/N: Bwahahaha!! Did any of you see it coming?? That line... that one line was the entire reason I started this fic. :D Yay!! I understand now that some of you are going to find something to argue about in this, but I don't mind. I still love it, and I haven't seen anyone else do it, so it's a unique story! Yes, let's love this.  
  
Review, Review! Tell me what you think! **


	13. Can't Take Me Alive

**Long Live the King  
  
A/N: We're almost done. Just a little bit more to go. :3 No, there will be no killing Odin's horse. I love Sleipner, thank-you-very-much, and I'd rather not kill him. x.x; But I can tell you now that you probably won't like the ending anymore. I'm gonna have a lot of people who hate me by the end of this. .; Heh, read on anyway.  
  
Chapter 13: Can't Take Me Alive**  
  
It could have been early morning or late evening depending on who had a watch. The group slowly awakened from their dreams and nightmares, each feeling rejuvenated from the earlier battles.  
  
Rinoa sat up tiredly, wiping the sleep from her eyes then stretching her arms up. Sleipner rolled up and onto its six hooves, helping Rinoa up as well. She smiled thankfully and skipped over to Squall, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.  
  
He draped his arms around her waist and glanced over the group, his cold gaze settling on Sleipner. "How do we get out of here?" The large horse looked to the sorceress in Squall's arms and stretched its neck out, nose brushing against her back.  
  
**_Rinoa, do you wish to go to the outside world?_**  
  
She turned to look at him and smiled, nodding quickly. "I want to go home."  
  
Silence reined as Sleipner seemed to think about this. He then gave a nod and stamped a hoof into the ground. Dark mists swirled around the seven of them and a hole of colors twisted in front of them. Sleipner nodded towards the hole and started forward, disappearing through it.  
  
Squall took hold of Rinoa's hand and went through, taking her with him. The others soon followed behind, none wanting to be home more than the other.  
  
Suddenly, everything was bright. Selphie looked around happily at the green grass, the blue Bite Bug in the distance, and the white and blue sky above. "Oh, we're home! Thank you, Hyne!" she laughed and dropped down to hug the ground.  
  
Irvine chuckled and reached down, grabbing her by the back of her yellow jumper dress and lifting her back to her feet. "It is good to be back."  
  
The darkness had followed them, though. Sleipner shifted in the mists and turned to face his choice of King.  
  
**_I must return, this is not my place. I will come back in a week._**  
  
And then he was gone, into the mists. Everything faded away and Rinoa stood quietly, confused more than anything else.  
  
"I didn't get to say goodbye," she murmured softly before shrugging. "But he's going to come back. To visit?" she looked to Squall.  
  
Suddenly, everyone looked uncomfortable.  
  
"Rinoa, dear... You..." but Quistis couldn't finish.  
  
"Look!" Selphie shouted out in dismay, pointing towards their Garden. When all looked, there was an array of reactions to the sight. One side of the Garden was smoking wildly and sparks shot from the empty area.  
  
The group ran into the Garden, through the front gate and to the elevators just as the Headmaster Cid came rushing out.  
  
"Where have you guys been?" He shouted out in worry.  
  
"We'll have to explain it all later. What happened here?" Quistis questioned, hands waving to her sides to direct her question to everything around them.  
  
The Headmaster shook his head and started leading them to where the smoke was coming from. "When you guys left, things were fine. That is, until Diablos showed up."  
  
"Diablos? What'd Diablos do?" Zell shouted out, running up to Cid's side.  
  
They stopped at the hall before the Training Center and Cid let out a sigh. "He tore the entire Training Center off of the Garden. We don't know who summoned him and who ordered him to do this to us, but we're going to find out," he said determinedly.  
  
There was a silence before Squall spoke up. "No one summoned him. He did it on his own."  
  
And the seven of them were up in Cid's office once again, this time explaining the entire story of the Realm of the Guardian Force's in detail.  
  
The story was over and Cid rubbed at his temples in thought. "The Guardian Force's are rebelling because they have no King? Alright," he let out a sigh, "anything else?"  
  
The air turned awkward. Quistis crossed her arms over her stomach and diverted her gaze to the carpet. Zell had stopped his shadow boxing and found the newly replaced windows to be very interesting.  
  
"That's all. We need to go now," Squall turned and started on his way out, Rinoa close behind him. The others exchanged looks then followed, Quistis saying a 'sorry' to the very confused Headmaster.

----------  
  
Rinoa sat quietly in her room with Squall. He had ordered the others to go get some rest, and, with little fight, they did so. Slowly, Squall made his way to the bed where Rinoa was seated, setting himself down beside her. His shoes suddenly became very interesting.  
  
"What is it, Squall?" Rinoa smiled softly, placing a hand over his. He looked to her hand and covered it with his other hand.  
  
"I don't want to lose you," he admitted quietly, gaze traveling up to her eyes. She tilted her head in confusion, then put another smile on.  
  
"You aren't going to lose me. It's not like I'm going—"  
  
"He's going to take you away."  
  
This stopped her and she seemed to think about this. "Who's going to take me away, Squall?"  
  
"That damned horse. Rinoa, don't you see? You're a sorceress. You're the one with all the power. You're the one he's chosen to become the next King!" He hadn't even realized that his voice rose while talking until he saw her wince. "I'm sorry, Rinoa..."  
  
She shook her head, fighting to keep the smile she wore. "I don't know what you're talking about. I thought it was supposed to be you—"  
  
"It's not me. It's you. And even if it was me, would you be happy knowing that he would come back to take me away from you?" He couldn't hold it in any longer, the anger was mixing with the frustration and he didn't want to take it out on Rinoa.  
  
"Well, no, but—"  
  
He had to cut her off again, "Than you know how I feel. I'm not going to let you go!" And his arms closed around her, holding her close. "I'm not going to let him take you away from me..." he muttered quietly, more to himself than to her.  
  
Rinoa allowed this to sink in as she relaxed in the embrace, her head resting against Squall's shoulder. "We'll find a way out of this," she reassured him softly, pulling back from his grip. "We always do, don't we?"  
  
Squall felt himself shaking with the fear of losing her and he leaned down, his own head resting against her collarbone. "You're mine, Rinoa. They can't have you."  
  
She could feel her heart breaking at his words. She shifted enough to lean down and kiss his forehead softly. "I'm yours. You're my knight. They won't take me without a fight," she smiled and gently hugged him close until she felt his arms sag around her hips.  
  
Quietly, she managed to lay him down in her bed comfortably. She changed out of her attire and into an oversized white shirt with little yellow chocobo's decorating it. Slowly she climbed into the bed next to him and squirmed into his arms, her head resting beneath his chin.  
  
"I'm yours," she half-whispered, half-yawned before falling asleep in his arms, despite the time of day.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, very short chapter indeed, but not much was supposed to happen in this one. These remaining chapters aren't going to be very long since there isn't much that's left of it all. :O Almost finished. ::throws confetti:: Freedom!  
  
Review, Review! You know you want to! **


	14. I Don't Want To Say Goodbye

**Long Live the King  
  
A/N: I send many, many, many thanks to angel-brokensorrow for the review. :D It motivated me to write the remaining chapters. You're very, very right. ::sends love:: I was feeling non-loved without the reviews, but I think your review just makes up for all of them. Now! On to the adorableness of it all and to the closing chapter! :3  
  
Chapter 14: I Don't Want To Say Goodbye**  
  
Rinoa hadn't left her room since they had returned to their world. Squall emerged from the dark room to look over his friends. "I told her," he started calmly.  
  
"And?" Selphie held her hands out, pushing for him to continue.  
  
"She said she wanted time to think about it," he finished, gaze dropping to the marble floor beneath them.  
  
Quistis nodded in understanding and turned away. "Then let's leave her to think. I'm sure the last thing she needs is us flocking around her, am I right?" she glanced over her shoulder to Squall, awaiting his reply.  
  
The man simply nodded and they walked off, going their separate ways to deal with their own arising problems.

----------  
  
Zell quietly entered the library, looking over the occupants until he spotted his favorite. "Paige," he half-whispered, half-shouted to her. Her first instinct was to turn and tell him to hush, but once her eyes settled on him, she let out a squeal of delight and skipped over.  
  
She threw her arms around him, forcing him to stumble back into the counter with an 'Oof!'  
  
Paige laughed softly and quickly took his hand, leading him out of the library so they could talk. "What happened? Did you guys find anything?" she asked him hurriedly.  
  
He smiled sadly to her, gaze then dropping to the floor. "Well, yes, but it isn't good. You know the whole thing about Odin, right? Well, turns out his horse lived, and that stupid thing is making Rinoa the King."  
  
Paige stood quietly, thinking about this. Then she grinned happily, oblivious to the meaning. "So what? Rinoa's going to be the King – that doesn't make sense, she's a girl," but Paige continued anyway, "and she's going to have control over the Guardian Force's! Isn't that a good thing?"  
  
Zell shook his head, eyes leveling with hers. "He's going to take Rinoa back to his realm, and we'll never see her again! That isn't a good thing, Paige..." he grumbled, voice lowering as a trio of students wandered by.  
  
Another silence fell, save for the random conversations that could be picked up from the students that passed by occasionally.  
  
"What's Squall going to do?" she asked finally, gaze falling to examine her shoes. Zell shook his head.  
  
"I'm not sure. He's been really protective of her recently. I wouldn't be surprised if he even followed her into their realm," Zell admitted, rubbing lightly at the back of his head. He watched as Paige slowly looked back up to him, fighting to smile.  
  
"How would you feel if I were the one being taken away?" she asked out of the blue.  
  
Zell blinked at the question, not sure how to answer it. He felt his cheeks becoming warm with a blush and he quickly looked off to the side. "Erm... I don't... know. I—"  
  
Paige laughed nervously. "It's alright. You don't have to answer."  
  
"I wouldn't let them touch you."  
  
Another pause, then she smiled. "Thanks, Zell." Then she leaned forward and placed a quick, innocent kiss to his cheek.  
  
"Way to go, Zell!" A voice cheered from down the hall. Paige blushed brightly and took a step away as Irvine and Selphie came in, each grinning like madmen. Irvine came up and patted Zell on the shoulder rather roughly. "I knew you'd get the girl eventually."  
  
Selphie smiled over to Paige and shrugged. "Boys will be boys," she commented before grabbing Irvine's arm. "C'mon, you said you were gonna buy me a chocolate ice-cream sundae!"  
  
The cowboy grinned and patted the top of her head before hooking their arms together. "Then let us go, m'lady." He chuckled at her blush and led her out of the hall and towards the Cafeteria.  
  
Zell grumbled something to himself and Paige laughed quietly. "They sure went out of their way to embarrass you, didn't they?"  
  
The young SeeD just let out a heavy sigh and nodded in response.

----------  
  
Rinoa stared thoughtlessly at the fat book in her hands, watching as the picture of Odin began to fade from the grey steed he rode. Even his name began to fade from the book. Her minds eye read as her name replaced his.  
  
There was a sudden knock at her door and the words, and picture, returned to normal. "Who is it?" she called out, glancing to the door between her and the outside world.  
  
"Rinoa, let me in," was all Squall had to say. He never said 'it's me' or 'Squall' like normal people did. She smiled and placed the book on the desk while making her way to the door. She unlocked it and pulled it open, smile faltering at the determined look on Squall's face.  
  
He rushed in and shut the door behind himself, hands resting on Rinoa's shoulders and pushing her back till she was against a wall. "If you're the King than you can pick another Guardian Force to take your place, can't you?"  
  
Rinoa gasped out at the sudden movement and squirmed in his hold. "I... I guess I could. Squall let me go," she whimpered slightly and Squall immediately moved back.  
  
"I'm sorry, Rinoa... I just," he thought about his words, choosing them carefully, "I don't want to lose you."  
  
Rinoa nodded in understanding and stepped over to her bed, sitting down and placing her palms against the mattress behind her. "I know, Squall. It's alright. We'll find a way," it was a repeat of the night before. "Sleipner might allow me to choose a different King. Really, it depends on him."  
  
"I don't care what Sleipner wants. If you're the King then your decision is all that matters!"  
  
The sorceress nodded to his words and gazed down to her legs. "You're right. You always are. I would have to think of the best one to be my replacement, though. I wouldn't want the Guardian Force's to cause anymore trouble to us, and I want someone that can really take control of them. One that isn't like Diablos."  
  
Squall stood back and watched her closely as she thought it over. He had no idea what he would do if she were gone, and if Sleipner came to take her, he would do all in his power to fight back. Anything to keep Rinoa by his side.  
  
"Rinoa," he started slowly, turning to face her. She glanced up to him, head tilting slightly in question. Her eyes, her hair, everything about her calmed his soul and he felt wanted, needed, and loved. No one was going to take that from him.  
  
He stepped over to her, hands resting on her shoulders. He gently pressed her down against the bed and leaned forward, his lips brushing lightly over hers. There was a knocking at the door and Rinoa shifted beneath him. "Ignore it," he murmured as his lips claimed hers in a kiss.  
  
Selphie knocked once more, then let out a sigh. "She must be depressed about it all," she said as she turned to look at Irvine. He shrugged and the two walked off, in hopes of finding Zell and humiliating him again.  
  
Rinoa heard Selphie's words from inside the room. _Far from it, _she thought as her arms slid around Squall's neck, fingers pulling at the leather jacket as his kisses trailed down along her neck, only to come up and take her lips again.

----------  
  
Darkness fell over the Garden and the stars above made small talk with the moon.  
  
Rinoa stirred from her sleep and carefully untangled herself from Squall's arms. She quietly dressed herself and slid her black boots on. "I'm so sorry, Squall... I just need time to think about this all..." she whispered as she pulled the blankets up to cover his naked chest.  
  
Tears built at the corners of her eyes as she leaned forward, placing a featherlike kiss to his lips. He frowned in his sleep, but did nothing more. Rinoa cautiously picked up her bag of belongings and left the room, left Squall, and left the Garden entirely.

----------  
  
It was later in the morning when Squall came out of the room, face structured like stone into a frown. He had searched the entire room to find that Rinoa was gone. Zell came out from the Cafeteria, making the mistake of bumping into Squall.  
  
The taller man shoved Zell out of the way, heading towards the Front Gate. "Hey!" Zell shouted out after him, regaining his balance. "What do you think you're doing?"  
  
Squall glared over his shoulder before replying, "I'm going to find Rinoa."  
  
Zell blinked in confusion then shrugged. "Someone's got a stick up their ass," he grumbled before continuing towards the Library.  
  
Squall stalked through Balamb, sifting around the entire town. When he got to the harbor, he spotted her blue clad figure, sitting by the docked ships.  
  
"Rinoa!" he called out for her, and she turned to look at him, tears staining her cheeks. He immediately ran to her.  
  
She staggered to her feet and met him halfway, falling into his embrace. "I tried to leave! I wanted to leave, I really did, but I couldn't! I couldn't leave you," she cried into his chest, hands grasping the shirt beneath his leather jacket. His arms wrapped tightly around her, holding her close to him.  
  
"Why did you try to leave?" he asked softly, resting his cheek against the top of her head. Her shoulders shook with her sobs as she fought to reply so he could understand.  
  
"I thought that if I left early," she pulled back just enough to look up at him with tear filled eyes. "It wouldn't be so hard for anyone when Sleipner came to take me away," she finished, a fresh round of tears falling.  
  
Squall leaned forward and gently kissed her forehead, bringing her close to him again. "I won't let him take you away, how many times do I have to tell you that? I'm your Knight, remember? I'm not going to let anything happen to you," he reassured her softly, gloved hand running through her hair to calm her down.  
  
Her sobs subsided into hiccups and she nodded slowly.  
  
"Rinoa, I love you... I'm going to be with you forever, no matter what happens."

* * *

**A/N: Don't you just love the Squinoa-ness? ::tears up:: The final chapter is coming up. Now I seriously need your help, readers! Should it be a sad ending, a semi-sad/semi-good (you Squinoa lovers would hate it) ending, or a good ending? Hell, if worse comes to worse, I might just write all three endings and you choose which one you want. XD  
  
Let me know! Review, Review!! **


	15. You Were Wrong sad

**Long Live the King  
  
A/N: It's the last chapter! OMFG!! Alright, since I couldn't come down to one decision, I just thought I'd write all three endings, enter them into the chapters, and then you just choose which one you want to read. :D  
  
Looks like you've chosen the sad ending. It isn't the best one, I can tell you that. It may not even be very long. :O Have fun anyway, I suppose.  
  
Chapter 15: You Were Wrong  
**  
The week had passed. It was a week of Rinoa scurrying in and out of the Library every hour with a new batch of books. What she was planning, nobody knew. Every once in a while, you could spot Paige following along with her, but when Zell asked what Rinoa was up to, Paige would only shake her head and give a shrug.  
  
"I only helped her carry the books to her room. You should see it! It's like she's turning her room into the next branch of the Library! I don't even know where half of the books came from!" she would exclaim.

----------  
  
The day Sleipner was to return and Quistis found Squall at his desk, going through every file that ever existed.  
  
"What are you doing?" she questioned, leaning against the desk.  
  
The man never looked up at her. "I'm going to find a way to keep Rinoa here."  
  
"Ah," Quistis nodded her head as if she understood. "Did you find anything?"  
  
A short pause, then finally, "No."  
  
"Well, don't worry. I'm sure, with the way Rinoa has been going through the Library books, she's figured something out," Quistis tried, patting Squall on the shoulder lightly before leaving him to continue through the files.

----------  
  
Rinoa rubbed at her forehead and let out a sigh. All this reading was going to damage her eyesight. She had been reading, nonstop, since the day she had come back with Squall, unsuccessful at her attempt to run away.  
  
_I'm even starting to act like him,_ she thought in amusement, realizing that so much concentration on one thing was what Squall had been permanently assigned to when Headmaster Cid appointed him Commander. She giggled to herself at the image and shook her head.  
  
Leaning back in the chair, she let out a deep breath, rolling her head around on her shoulders to work out the stiffness. "It's almost time," she said to herself, gaze falling onto the digital clock.  
  
There was a knock at the door, but she didn't feel she needed to ask who it was. Slowly, she pushed herself to her feet and walked to the door, pulling it open to smile at the exhausted look on Squall's face.  
  
"We should go outside so he doesn't come in and trash the Garden," Squall spoke gravely, as if expecting an all out war with the six-legged horse. Rinoa wouldn't be surprised if that was what her love was planning.  
  
She nodded to him and closed the door behind her as they left, accompanied by Zell, Selphie, Irvine, and Quistis on their way out.

----------  
  
Sleipner watched from his place in the darkness. How he could see would be unknown to the human race.  
  
**_I apologize in advance._**  
  
The mists swirled around his hooves and he exited through the darkened mass that was his 'portal' of sorts.

----------  
  
Rinoa stood ready, held protectively by Squall. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close to his chest as he stared dangerously into the gaping hole forming before them. One last look over their friends let them know all were ready, weapons held firmly and all in a battle stance.  
  
Sleipner exited the portal, blackened orbs staring at each individual, as if threatening to rip their souls from their very bodies at that given moment.  
  
**_Are you ready, sorceress?_**  
  
Rinoa looked up to him and smiled. She squirmed her way out of Squall's arms and stepped up to the oversized horse, reaching up and gently resting her hand on his neck. "I don't want to go," she spoke softly.  
  
**_I know, but you must. As King, you-_**  
  
"As King, I can choose another to replace me on the throne." Her voice had suddenly turned serious. The kindness was gone from her features, and Sleipner knew she would not sit back and kindly allow him to take her back. A look to her friends and he realized they wouldn't let him take her without a fight.  
  
**_But, I chose you to be the King. You are the best choice there is._**  
  
He didn't want to fight them. The girl was dear, and if her friends were loved by her, they had to be tolerated by him.  
  
"I'm human. I can't be your King. My place is to live here, with my friends."  
  
**_You are also a sorceress. You have no place._**  
  
Rinoa seemed hurt by this. Squall stepped up, gunblade held tightly in his leather gloves. "She has a place with us! We love her, _I_ love her. She's staying with us whether you want her to or not," he growled menacingly and Sleipner seemed to take it threateningly.  
  
A hoof stamped into the ground, threatening to crack the planet in half.  
  
**_She is our King._**  
  
"Exactly!" Rinoa interrupted their glaring war and stepped between them. "I am your King, and thus, I have the power to choose a replacement!" She wasn't going to back down from this. Sleipner hung his head low to be at eye-level with her.  
  
**_You are my King..._**  
  
Rinoa held her hand out, resting her palm between the dark eyes of the horse. "I've already chosen the King. He is the most powerful, he is strong, and he is one of your own." She took a deep breath, then stepped away from Sleipner, back into the arms of Squall. "I chose Alexander."  
  
The name brought a rumbling from the ground below. Suddenly, the forest broke in half and ribbons of mist curled up, reaching for the darkening sky. Out of the great canyon came the mechanical holy man, gears grinding as it towered above the horse and others.  
  
Sleipner stared up at the mechanical Guardian, then back down to Rinoa.  
  
**_I trust in your decision._**  
  
The horse slipped away into the darkness as Alexander stood tall, its shadow looming over Balamb Garden itself. Clanks and clicks were heard throughout the entire monstrosity before a white light fell from its neck, as if bleeding the light.  
  
Suddenly, there was pain. Rinoa felt herself falling into oblivion as the white sheet fell over the planet. Sound was lost and the planet glowed an eerie mix of black and white. She couldn't move, she couldn't think. All senses were lost and her mind went blank.

----------  
  
Sleipner stared heartlessly over the desolate land, left front hoof kicking lightly at a loose stone.  
  
**_I trusted in your decision, my King... my sorceress._**  
  
He was given no response. Slowly, he lowered his neck and sniffed lightly at a single feather, its white glow dimming into a grey shade.  
  
**_It seems you made the wrong one..._**  
  
He turned and left, returning to the dark folds of Alexander's lair, where his rule controlled all. An icy breath fell over the darkening planet and the Guardian Force's took it as their own. No one was there to fight back.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, I told you it was a bad ending. Everything and everyone's gone. Her decision was the wrong one. Very sad, huh? I wonder why I didn't have her choose Shiva. Shiva was nice, wasn't she? Oh well. Please, read the other two endings (especially the sad/happy one. I really would like to know what you think about that one) and make yourself happier. :D Review and let me know what you think.**


	16. Long Live the King sadhappy

**Long Live the King  
  
A/N: It's the last chapter! OMFG!! Alright, since I couldn't come down to one decision, I just thought I'd write all three endings, enter them into the chapters, and then you just choose which one you want to read. :D  
  
Looks like you've chosen the sad/happy ending. This is one the Squinoa fans will not like. .; But I thought it was the most creative. Have fun!  
  
Chapter 15: Long Live the King  
**  
Rinoa sat back silently in her room, staring up at the ceiling. She was exhausted. She spent most of the week trying to find a way out of it all. She tried running away, but she had chickened out and ran back, crying into Squall's arms. She even tried finding a way to choose a different Guardian Force to become King, but none of the choices seemed to be good enough for her.  
  
_Sleipner chose me for a reason. He believed I was the best one to become King... Can I really let him down? Could I let all of the Guardian Force's down? _She thought about it, eyes closing and thin brows knitting together in a frown.  
  
She thought about Sleipner, and how much he had wanted her to become the King. He trusted her to rule over the Guardian Force's, to command them, and to take control and protect them all. A heavy sigh escaped from parted lips and she opened her eyes, standing up and sliding her boots on.  
  
She had to see Squall.

----------  
  
The gunblade wielder sat quietly at his desk, staring sullenly at the screen in front of him. _There has to be a way to save her from all of this,_ he thought to himself. He heard the doors slide open and his gaze flitted over to see who it was. He caught blue and immediately sat up straight, watching her make her way around the room to lean against the desk beside him.  
  
"Squall... I'm sorry," she barely choked out, a forced smile on her face. "I can't let him down." She had come to her decision. And she knew Squall wouldn't stand for it.  
  
The man leapt out of his chair, sending the innocent object crashing against the wall behind him with the force. His hands gripped her forearms and he held onto her tightly. "No, Rinoa. You're going to stay with us! I'll find a way! I told you I would, and I will."  
  
The sorceress smiled and tilted her head to the side, despite the aggressive nature she was receiving. "Alright, Squall. I trust you," she murmured as his grip on her lessened. He pulled her close to him, crushing her with his embrace. He wouldn't let he go, afraid that if he did, he would never see her again.  
  
_I love you, Squall,_ she thought to herself as he released her just enough to lean down and claim her lips.  
  
It was at that moment that Zell decided to waltz into the room. He stopped in mid-step and cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Ah, sorry guys... Thought I'd let you know that Quistis wants us to go outside to wait for Sleipner," he managed to mumble quickly.  
  
The two pulled apart and Rinoa looked over to him, her eyes betraying her broken heart as she smiled to him. "Tell her we'll be there soon."

----------  
  
Quistis stood awkwardly, arms crossed over her stomach and foot tapping against the grass as she waited for Squall and Rinoa. Zell had told her, with a blush, that the two would be arriving shortly. She shook her head at the images that flashed through her mind and glanced up just in time to see Squall and Rinoa approaching, one looking angrier than the other.  
  
"It's about time, you two. What were you doing?" She tilted her head to the side in question.  
  
"Talking," Rinoa replied just as everyone was getting ready to unify a 'It's none of your business' had Rinoa allowed Squall to respond. She giggled at the knowing looks in the two women's eyes and walked ahead of them.  
  
The sky began to darken and they watched patiently as Sleipner emerged from the dark mists. He glanced kindly to Rinoa, then threateningly to the others, as if he knew their plans.  
  
**_Are you ready?_**  
  
Rinoa looked to Squall, her smile faltering as her true intentions spilled from her heart. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Squall's eyes widened and he shook his head.  
  
"You're not taking her!" he snarled out, gunblade held out in his battle stance. Sleipner barely flicked his ears towards the man.  
  
**_What are you going to do to stop me?_**  
  
"I'll fight you if I have to," Squall shot back, slicing the blade through the air. Sleipner turned his head to look at the young man. If Sleipner had arms, Rinoa could have sworn that he would have crossed them in such a cocky way that he would resemble Seifer.  
  
**_You would fight me... To stop me from placing her as King of the Guardian Force's and protecting both ours and your realm? That is stupid._**  
  
Squall frowned and started towards him, finger over the trigger to deliver the first blow.  
  
But the first blow was not his to give. Sleipner stamped a hoof into the ground, sending a long crack shooting towards Squall. The earth shot up from beneath and sent Squall a good yard back.  
  
**_Do not try. You were no match for Diablos; you are no match for me. Allow me to take her. This is what she is needed for. She has no place in your realm._**  
  
"But she does..." Squall slowly stood, blade thrust into the ground to support himself. "She has a place here, with us. With me! You can't take her away from the people who love her..." He was now pleading with the horse, something he had never done before.  
  
Rinoa could feel everything inside of her shatter as she made her way towards Squall.  
  
**_Do not go. I can promise you, he will feel no pain. You yourself know it is your duty to come with me, to become the new Unknown King._**  
  
She stopped, halfway to Squall. Her hands dropped to her sides and she stepped back to Sleipner. "I love you, Squall..."  
  
"Rinoa!" He shouted out for her as the darkness engulfed them all. A scream echoed through the darkness. It was such a pained scream, of lost souls crying for what they lost so long ago.

----------  
  
Squall glanced up at the bright sun, shielding his eyes from the rays that threatened to blind him. Shaking his head, he glanced ahead to see the train approaching. To his side, he saw the old man from earlier, bouquet in his wrinkled hands.  
  
The train came to a stop and it let out a whistle as the people filed out, one by one, as if they had just graduated into SeeD's. Squall took a deep breath and watched as an old woman ran out and jumped into the embrace with the old man. He gave her the bouquet and she gushed on and on about how much she had missed him.  
  
He idly wondered if Rinoa would be like that.  
  
Squall glanced to the train again as the conductor glanced in through the doorway. He called that the unloading was over and the train started up again for its next stop. _She didn't come..._ he thought to himself, not sure if he was disappointed, angry, or if he even cared at all. That was silly, though. He knew he cared.  
  
Shaking his head, he turned and left the train station. Dark clouds began to form and block out the sun as he made his way back to the Garden. The heavens began to weep as the lovers were never reunited, and the wind whispered a quiet "I love you" that the young man could never hear.  
  
And somewhere in the depths of a dark realm, a young angel in blue began to cry.

* * *

**A/N: Oh my god, I started tearing up when I started writing the ending. It made me so sad... Now, don't get me wrong, I love Squinoa just as much as the next person. I would never have considered writing this ending if it just didn't appeal to me so much as it did. I don't like separating the two, but the ending was so unique and beautiful to me that... I just couldn't help but write it. Please don't hate me. You'd understand if you were writing this as well! You can still read the other endings I wrote! Please, Review and let me know what you think.**


	17. And I Choose happy

**Long Live the King  
  
A/N: It's the last chapter! OMFG!! Alright, since I couldn't come down to one decision, I just thought I'd write all three endings, enter them into the chapters, and then you just choose which one you want to read. :D  
  
Looks like you've chosen the happy ending! Good for you! :D I believe this is the ending everyone really wants to see, anyway. Please, enjoy the last chapter of 'Long Live the King' and, if you enjoyed this story, please read 'Beyond Paradise' (FFVII) when it comes out.  
  
Chapter 15: And I Choose...  
**  
The week had passed. It was a week of Rinoa scurrying in and out of the Library every hour with a new batch of books. What she was planning, nobody knew. Every once in a while, you could spot Paige following along with her, but when Zell asked what Rinoa was up to, Paige would only shake her head and give a shrug.  
  
"I only helped her carry the books to her room. You should see it! It's like she's turning her room into the next branch of the Library! I don't even know where half of the books came from!" she would exclaim.

----------  
  
The day Sleipner was to return, and Quistis found Squall at his desk, going through every file that ever existed.  
  
"What are you doing?" she questioned, leaning against the desk.  
  
The man never looked up at her. "I'm going to find a way to keep Rinoa here."  
  
"Ah," Quistis nodded her head as if she understood. "Did you find anything?"  
  
A short pause, then finally, "No."  
  
"Well, don't worry. I'm sure, with the way Rinoa has been going through the Library books, she's figured something out," Quistis tried, patting Squall on the shoulder lightly before leaving him to continue through the files.

----------  
  
Rinoa rubbed at her forehead and let out a sigh. All this reading was going to damage her eyesight. She had been reading, nonstop, since the day she had come back with Squall, unsuccessful at her attempt to run away.  
  
_I'm even starting to act like him,_ she thought in amusement, realizing that so much concentration on one thing was what Squall had been permanently assigned to when Headmaster Cid appointed him Commander. She giggled to herself at the image and shook her head.  
  
Leaning back in the chair, she let out a deep breath, rolling her head around on her shoulders to work out the stiffness. "It's almost time," she said to herself, gaze falling onto the digital clock.  
  
There was a knock at the door, but she didn't feel she needed to ask who it was. Slowly, she pushed herself to her feet and walked to the door, pulling it open to smile at the exhausted look on Squall's face.  
  
"We should go outside so he doesn't come in and trash the Garden," Squall spoke gravely, as if expecting an all out war with the six-legged horse. Rinoa wouldn't be surprised if that was what her love was planning.  
  
She nodded to him and closed the door behind her as they left, accompanied by Zell, Selphie, Irvine, and Quistis on their way out.

----------  
  
Sleipner watched from his place in the darkness. How he could see would be unknown to the human race.  
  
**_I apologize in advance._**  
  
The mists swirled around his hooves and he exited through the darkened mass that was his 'portal' of sorts.

----------  
  
Rinoa stood ready, held protectively by Squall. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close to his chest as he stared dangerously into the gaping hole forming before them. One last look over their friends let them know all were ready, weapons held firmly and all in a battle stance.  
  
Sleipner exited the portal, blackened orbs staring at each individual, as if threatening to rip their souls from their very bodies at that given moment.  
  
**_Are you ready, sorceress?_**  
  
Rinoa looked up to him and smiled. She squirmed her way out of Squall's arms and stepped up to the oversized horse, reaching up and gently resting her hand on his neck. "I don't want to go," she spoke softly.  
  
**_I know, but you must. As King, you-_**  
  
"As King, I can choose another to replace me on the throne." Her voice had suddenly turned serious. The kindness was gone from her features, and Sleipner knew she would not sit back and kindly allow him to take her back. A look to her friends and he realized they wouldn't let him take her without a fight.  
  
**_But, I chose you to be the King. You are the best choice there is._**  
  
He didn't want to fight them. The girl was dear, and if her friends were loved by her, they had to be tolerated by him.  
  
"I'm human. I can't be your King. My place is to live here, with my friends."  
  
_**You are also a sorceress. You have no place.**_  
  
Rinoa seemed hurt by this. Squall stepped up, gunblade held tightly in his leather gloves. "She has a place with us! We love her, _I_ love her. She's staying with us whether you want her to or not," he growled menacingly and Sleipner seemed to take it threateningly.  
  
A hoof stamped into the ground, threatening to crack the planet in half.  
  
**_She is our King._**  
  
"Exactly!" Rinoa interrupted their glaring war and stepped between them. "I am your King, and thus, I have the power to choose a replacement!" She wasn't going to back down from this. Sleipner hung his head low to be at eye-level with her.  
  
**_You are my King..._**  
  
Rinoa held her hand out, resting her palm between the dark eyes of the horse. "I've already chosen the King. He is the most powerful, he is strong, and he is one of your own." She took a deep breath, then stepped away from Sleipner, back into the arms of Squall. "I chose Alexander."  
  
The name brought a rumbling from the ground below. Suddenly, the forest broke in half and ribbons of mist curled up, reaching for the darkening sky. Out of the great canyon came the mechanical holy man, gears grinding as it towered above the horse and others.  
  
Sleipner stared up at the mechanical Guardian, then back down to Rinoa.  
  
_**I trust in your decision.**_  
  
The horse slipped away into the darkness as Alexander stood tall, its shadow looming over Balamb Garden itself. Clanks and clicks were heard throughout the entire monstrosity before a white light fell from its neck, as if bleeding the light.  
  
Rinoa smiled as she fell into a white slumber. _Holy Judgment..._ It was the last conscious thought anyone shared.

----------  
  
The sun was shining brightly in the sky, and Squall found himself rubbing nervously at the back of his neck. He glanced down at the bouquet of flowers in his hand and shook his head. _Am I doing the right thing..?_ he thought to himself.  
  
Glancing over, he noticed the old man from only a few minutes ago, looking so happy. _Will I be that happy when I'm that old? With Rinoa..?_ All these questions were giving him a headache.  
  
He watched uncomfortably as the train came to a stop. The people began to file out, some on their own, others in couples. Another look and he saw the old man hugging a just as old woman. He gave her the flowers he bought and she blushed.  
  
He couldn't watch any longer. The idea that it might never happen to him brought pain. He turned to walk away when a small hand reached out, holding onto his wrist. He turned around on his heels and sucked in a gasp at the blue angel, _his_ blue angel, in front of him.  
  
"Hi, Squall..."

* * *

**A/N: Finished with the happy ending! :D Does anybody recognize the very last scene? No? Let me tell you. It's the same scene at the end of Chapter One, but with slight changes. Why are there changes? Well, I wanted them to be there. If you didn't figure it out, time went back to when he was sent by Quistis to pick Rinoa up at the train station. Now, if you want, you can still read the sad or semi-sad/semi-happy ending (I beg you to read the sad/happy ending. I really want to know what you think of that one). Have fun! :D Review and let me know what you think.**


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